Fire that helps
by smartcheer917
Summary: Katara gets captured, again, except this time by Azula. She is placed with one of the more interesting charters yet, The prince's best friend.Zutara,SokkaOC Rated T for language. i can't write a summery for my life. a bit of OOCness in the beginign but it
1. Chapter 1

Fire that helps Chapter 1 

Once again, Azula had found them. She had her chance, but it didn't help that Ty Lee and Mai were fighting too. Azula had her chance, but out of no where came a streak of blue fire. " If your going to fight someone Azula," The person who had thrown the lighting jumped down from the tree she was in. " Make sure its someone you can't manipulate." The girl stood tall, in earth nation attire, a short green skirt and tan tights with a green top that showed her stomach. She had deep brown eyes and her hair was up high ponytail. She had an odd looking symbol on her shirt. Azula looked at her and laughed.

" You have to be kidding me." That was all she managed to say before the girl struck, She threw a huge lighting bolt at Azula. Azula was hit. She fell back. This angered Ty Lee and Mai, who came at her at the same time. When Ty Lee tried to disable her bending and manipulate the body, the girl grabbed her hands and bent the back, spraining Ty Lee's wrists. Ty Lee stepped back and tried to attack with her feet. The girl pushed her back with the one foot that she had used to try and knock her down with. It was Mai, turn. She threw stars at the girl. The girl pulled out swords and blocked each one. Mai came running at her with Ty Lee. The girl pushed them into the river, with Azula and they floated away, down stream. Aang had been watching in amazement. He tried to talk to her, but she ran off into the forest.

" Who was that?" Katara asked, advancing a step.

" She didn't go far, I can feel her." Toph said

" I want to ask her how she did that." Aang said. Toph nodded

" I trapped her this way." Toph said.

" You what?"

" Oh, just be quite and go along with this twinkle toes." They came to a clearing with a large box in the middle made of earth. Toph removed the box, to reveal the girl from earlier. She was sitting there, looking at them.

" Well?" she asked

" Well what?" Aang asked confused

" Well, what do you want to know? Why did you trap me?"

" We trapped you because you saved us and we wanted to say thanks. And to ask how you do that. Blue fire. And how you easily defeated those girls." Katara spoke up.

" Blue fire?" the girl asked. She laughed. " Blue fire, that's a good one. First off it's lighting, not blue fire." She quickly regained control of her self. " And I easily defeated them because we used to be best friends until I ran away." The girl said.

" Can we get a name?" asked Sokka

" Mia" the girl said. She got up and went to leave. Aang sent up a giant wall to bock her path. She spun around and looked at him.

" Teach me how." Aang said.

" How to what? Hey look a plant. Oo. " she said staring at the plant as of it was the coolest thing she had ever seen.

" How to defeat those girls, and how to make lighting." Aang said

" First of all, you can't learn lighting until you've mastered fire, and I don't think your fast enough to be able to defeat them."

" Yes he is!"

" Oh, well then lets see you beat me." She got into fighting stance. She came at him, ready to fight. She hit him in the spots and turned his limbs to mush. He tried to air bend her away, but it didn't work. Aang fell back. " See, I told you. You're not ready yet." Mia jumped into the trees and away. Katara watched. Something about her reminded her of Zuko. She really liked Zuko, but she kept it to herself. He was so handsome. Even at the last time that she had seen him. He was angry, and enraged. If he liked her back, he didn't show it. She tried to release him from her mind. It wasn't working.

" We should go into town and get supplies while we're here." Katara suggested. They headed for town, unaware of the conflict they'd find.

As soon as they stepped into town they were separated. A giant mob scene was going on, and fire navy soldiers were attacking. Katara was separated from Toph, Sokka and Aang. She looked around but all she saw was people. People fighting each other, screaming out dirty things and running for their lives. She felt some one grab her wrist and hit her in the head. Everything went dark.

"Katara! Aang! Toph!" Sokka yelled. He couldn't see his sister, the avatar or even that blind girl. He scolded, then saw that girl he had seen earlier. He recognized her by the mark on her shirt. He scolded again, no good firebender. He watched her as she fought the fire navy soldiers with breeze and ease. She easily whooped their sorry behinds. He snickered. It was funny to see firebenders fight each other. Aang spotted him and ran over to him.

" Sokka! Where's Katara?" he yelled at him He was dragging Toph behind him. Sokka looked at the girl again. One of the soldiers had her by the wrist and pushed her against the wall. He said something to her and she spat in his face. The solider struck her and dragged her off.

" I don't know." Sokka said. " I have a bad feeling that she was captured." Sokka said. The soldiers suddenly retreated. One of them was dragging an unconscious Katara with him. They tried to save her, but the people fighting were in their way. When they finally got through the crowd, The soldiers were gone.

"Retreat!" some one, yelled

Half of the people fighting with drew their positions and left. On of the older boys took a head count.

" Where's Mia?" he yelled.

" Damn it they can't take the hot one away, how else are we supposed to entertain ourselves?" One of the other boys groaned. The girls rolled their eyes.

"Dude, that's disrespectful." Another told him. Then the boy grinned." Anyway, you find it fun being rejected? That's all she ever dose anymore is reject those of us who make a pass at her."

" Okay, that's enough. No time to lose. Those stupid Pai-Shos are cowards. We need to… What" a girl whispering something in his ear cut him off. He smiled. " Well it has been brought to my attention that the avatar is here? Avatar, how may we help you?"

" Umm, we just need to get some food." Aang said nervously. They all had the same symbol as the girl on them-selves.

" Well, take what you want. Main members, meeting, tree house, now." He said and stepped down. The teens all disappeared and Aang and his friends were left standing alone.

" What the heck just happened?" Toph asked

" I don't know, but we need to find Katara." Aang said.

" Why do they always take her as a prisoner?" Sokka groaned.

" I don't know, but we better get the supplies we need and start looking for the ship." Aang said. They hurried to get supplies so that they could go and find Katara.

Katara woke up on the floor. " What purpose do these girls serve? Where's the Avatar?" Katara looked around her. She saw a girl about Sokka's age next to her scolding and two men dressed in Fire Navy armor arguing. " The blue eyed one travels with the avatar. The dark-eyed one is wanted by Princess Azula for betraying the fire nation."

" Well fine then. I'll let her know that we have the avatar's girl and the other girl in custody. Go stick them in the same cell. I still can't believe that we only have two cells. What idiot came up with that idea."

" My name is Mia you dirty bum." The other girl snapped.

" My, my, didn't your mother ever teach you manners? Speaking when you weren't spoken to, not a smart thing to do."

" Go to hell you bastard." She snapped.

" Well don't we have a mouth on us. Keep talking girl and you'll have a scar to match the princes."

" Hey back off." Katara said. She didn't like it when people threatened to hurt other people.

" Well, defending those who you don't even know. What are you a nun? Get them out of my sight."

" You were a bastard when I was 13 and you're still a bastard when I'm 16." She snapped as the guard dragged them away. The guard pushed them into a small room. Katara looked at the girl and gasped. The girl turned to look at her. " Why do you look like me?" she snapped at her.

" Look like you? You look like me!" Katara said back, getting defensive.

" I may look dumb, but I'm not. Actually, I am but whatever. I'm just 16. You look 14. Therefore, you look like me." Mia snapped at her. Katara crossed her arms across her chest.

" How come you look like me, if I'm from the water tribe and you're from the fire nation?"

" How the heck am I supposed to know?"

" You seem to think you know everything."

" Oh I do? Look at you miss, oh you look like me, blah, blah, blah. Believe me girl, you messing with the wrong one. I grew up with six older brothers, The youngest in his late teens when I was born. Don't get me started on people, or I'll never shut-up. Either that or something will get blown up."

" How can you blow something up, and my names Katara, not girl." Mia gave a small, evil smile. She looked at a vase, standing innocently over in the corner.

" Now you see it." She looked at the vase and huffed. " Now you don't." She smiled, satisfied, and sat on the ground.

" So, how come you helped us?" Katara asked.

" Because I don't like Azula, and she deserves to get her sorry butt whipped every once and a while." Mia said.

" Is she really that bad?" Katara asked. " I mean, I've met her brother, Zuko, and he seemed very mean." Mia burst out laughing. " What's so funny?" Katara asked her.

" Zuko got mean? The Zuko I used to know was a funny person, he just had a temper, but he was very fun to be around." Mia said, calming her self down. Her smiling eyes turned back to a frustrated frown. " But, two years in exile can do a lot to a person. And to top it off, he is one of the few to be scarred by his own element. This means he walks a fine line between savagery and humanity. He must be swaying." She sighed.

" You knew Zuko before he was banished?" Katara asked, surprised.

" Yeah, after his father became fire lord. I remember that he was spying on me. A couple of guys kept harassing me, but I couldn't get them away. He got them away from me. We became best friends soon after."

" Did you court?"

" No, I'm not interested in relationships. All they get you is pain. Anyway, I grew up with six brothers, a father and no mother. I am basically sick of men. They are such slobs."

" So your…"

" No, I just don't want to have to deal with liking someone. My brothers didn't teach me how to firebend, but they taught me how to shut off my emotions."

" Oh. My mother died when I was young, but at least I got to know her. You just had guys."

" Well, I learned how to get what I want, when I want it. My second oldest brother was over protective. The one younger after hi was at ease. My Oldest brother was just like my father, he didn't care."

" What about the other 3?"

" They were at ease to. They didn't go into the military they aren't benders. Instead they ran a metal shop. I know how all the fire nation ships are, front and back." Katara nodded her head. The girls began to tell funny stories about how stupid brothers are.

Azula walked down the hall. She heard something; it sounded like, like laughter. No, they can't be laughing, they're supposed to be prisoners. I'll just have to move one of them. I'll move the water tribe girl. I know Zuko hates her, if I put them in the same room, maybe they'll kill each other. Good, I'd like that. She smirked. " Guards!" she yelled. Two of them came running." I want you to take the water tribe girl to my brother's cell. The two girls are just having too much fun together." She ordered. The guards obeyed.

The guards came in the room. They opened the cell and one of them grabbed Katara's wrist. He pulled her out while the other one kept an eye on Mia. " What's going on?" Katara demanded. The guard hit her in the stomach. She winced and fell over.

" Stand up. Princess Azula is having your room moved because you are having too much fun." The guard snapped. He dragged Katara out and took her down the hall to the other cell. "Meet your new cell-mate." He said with a smile as he pushed Katara in. He closed the door and left. Katara looked around, at fist she didn't see anything, but then she saw him.

" For all the people for me to get as a room mate." He said and rolled his eyes. " What ever. I'm tired. You can sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

"You don't have to do that; it's a big bed. I'll sleep on one side, you can sleep on the other."

" And why would you do this?"

" Because if you blow your back out from sleeping on the floor, I'll feel guilty ad I don't like to feel guilty." She answered simply. He rolled his eyes and lay down on one side of the bed and fell asleep. She watched him and sighed. She laid down on the other side, back to him and fell asleep.

_Katara was sitting in a giant garden on the edge of a fountain. Then from behind her, a young man came up behind her. He put his hands on her forearms and kissed her neck. She smiled and turned around to face him. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. _Zuko awoke from his dream and shook his head. I do not like the water tribe girl. True, she had been kind to him, but she was kind to everyone. It was hard to tell who she liked and didn't. She proberly hates me because I was trying to capture her boy friend, the avatar. He sighed, rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Katara had this same dream. She woke up smiling wishing it hadn't ended. She stared at Zuko. Zuko heard her wake and felt her gaze on him. He didn't want to scare her, so he pretended that she wasn't watching him. Katara sighed and closed her eyes. She fell back asleep. She was going to have a hard time getting over this crush on Zuko. After a little while, Zuko opened his eyes to look at her. Oh god she's beautiful. He thought. He watched her sleep for a few minutes, before drifting off into a sleep of his own. He saw a disturbing future in his dream.

_Zuko opened a small door. "Mia? Sokka?" He called into the hall. He heard nothing. He walked down the hall to a room where a faint noise was coming from. He walked toward the door that the noise was coming from. He opened it and quickly closed it again. His face blushed a ferocious red. He had seen…_


	2. Oh Crap

Fire that helps Chapter 2

_Sokka on top of Mia, his shirt was off and his hands were under her shirt, while her arms were draped around his neck. He had been making out with her. Zuko blushed harder and harder. He heard scrambling in the room and Sokka opened the door, fixing his shirt. Mia looked to the side, bit her lip and ran her hand through her hair_. Zuko shot up quickly. His best friend under that water tribe boy? He tried to repress the memory. It wasn't working. He got out of bed and sat in the corner. He meditated, trying to get ride of those images. " What are you doing?" Katara asked him She was awake now, propped up on her elbows. He opened one eye and looked at her.

"Meditating, now shut up so I can concentrate." He said. She rolled her eyes as and got up. She spotted some water and began to practice her water bending. Zuko finally finished and flopped on his side, muttering things under his breath.

" So, you and Mia were best friends?" Katara asked him, trying to start a conversation with him.

" Mia? How do you know her?"

" Well, umm I met her, we were both captured, then separated for having two much fun. She looks like my twin or something." Zuko smirked.

" Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't."

" Give me a strait answer."

" No."

" Yes!" Katara snapped, getting angry

" Go to hell." He told her

" Meet you there." She gave a satisfied grin. She had won. Zuko sat up and looked at her standing there. She looked a lot like Mia, same skin tone, and same features. But Mia had bright brown hair and deep, dark, almost black brown eyes. Plus Mia was older by about a year. He thought about it. She had just turned 16 recently. He always remembered her birthday now; he was banished that same day. He sighed. Katara was still grinning at him. The two teens heard a noise. They looked up and saw a guard, holding Mia behind him, dressed in a purple dress down to her knees with black pants under it. He held another set in his hand. He threw it at Katara.

" You have been requested to work in the custodial department, to keep you out of trouble. This is your uniform. Knock on the wall once you're in it." The guard snapped and began to pull Mia the other way. She had been gagged, so she couldn't talk. She had a very angry look on her face because of this.

" But what about…"

" Not my problem." The guard pushed Mia out into the hallway and closed the door.

" I'll turn around and close my eyes." Zuko said and turned to face the wall. He closed his eyes. Katara changed as quickly as she could. She banged on the wall as instructed. The guard reached in and grabbed her wrist. He looked the door and dragged Mia and Katara down the hall. He pushed them into a room full of people in the same attire as them, but in black dresses and black pants. He pulled Mia's gag off.

" Why don't they have to were this?" Mia snapped angrily.

" So we can tell you apart from the servants. Now go and wash something." The guard closed the door and left.

" He is such a little…" Mia started angrily, her hands began to glow.

" Don't waste your energy on him." Katara interrupted her. Mia sighed and her hands returned to normal.

" Ah, girls. Here, go wash the main deck." A man dressed in the same thing as the others, but with a red trim said. Mai and Katara sighed and took the bucket of soapy water and a sponge. Mai worked fast at washing. She and Katara talked about their childhood's went. Mai had a hard upbringing with six older brothers who believed discipline was the way. She had learned to fight and firebend with her mind through this. Katara talked about how much it sucked to be the only waterbender in the South Pole. The girls finished at dark. The guard came back and took them to their rooms. Zuko was meditating again, without a shirt. She plopped down on the bed. That was hard work, she never released how big the deck was. She also didn't want to look at Zuko, she knew that she would stare. She sighed. Zuko came up behind her.

" You okay?" he asked. She nodded.

" Just tiered." She said. " Those decks are big." She said with another sigh. Zuko let out chuckled. Katara rolled over and looked at him angrily. " What?"

" Just thinking about how stupid you and Mia look in those dresses." Zuko laughed again. God, what am I saying? She looked so great in that dress. Zuko's conscious tortured him. He stopped laughing and shook his head.

"That's mean." Katara frowned at him.

"So? Have you looked at yourselves?" he asked. He snickered and flopped down on the floor.

"What are you doing on the floor?" she asked him

" I'm going to sleep."

" Well, I told you last night that I can't let you sleep on the floor because I'll feel guilty." She said.

"Fine." He mumbled. He stood up and dropped onto the bed and went to sleep. Katara had to roll over. He had forgotten to put his shirt back on and he smelled so good. If she stayed over there any longer then she would of snuggled closer and freaked him out. She let out a long sigh and fell asleep.

"Is something burning?" Katara sat up at these words. Zuko was Already up, and smelling something. Katara smelled it to and looked around. Zuko got up and stuck his head out the side of the bars on the door. " Its Mia! Mia wake up! It's a dream!" he yelled, getting louder as her went.

" What's going on?" Katara kneeled down next to him and asked.

" Its Mia, when she has a bad memory dream, she lilts up the place." Zuko said. "Mia wake up!"

" How dose she do that?"

" When she was little, she was in an accident that temporarily blinded her. She still has the skills that she learned to use then, which consisted of setting things on fire that she wasn't touching or pointing at." Zuko answered her." Get back!" he pushed Katara back. She sat on the bed, confused " Mia Wake up now or you'll miss the Agni Kai!" he yelled at Mia. Mia jumped up.

"When where who?" she yelled and looked around. " Huh?" she saw the walls that she had scorched. "Ops. My bad" She said and fell back onto the cot. Zuko rolled his eyes and went back to the bed and flopped down.

"What just happened?" Katara asked him

"Mia woke up, there for the fire ceased. You really should learn to control that temper of yours!" he yelled over at her. Then lighting bolts came out of nowhere and pushed Zuko off the bed onto the floor.

" Look who's talking!" she snapped at him Katara put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. He huffed and lay back down on the bed. He closed his eyes and fell back asleep. Katara joined him.

_Mia threw a lighting strike at a firefly, successfully killing it without splatter. She smiled happily to herself and sat down next to her best friend, Prince Zuko. He smiled at her. She smiled back. She remembered the incident from earlier, 'She was walking down the street in town, and Zuko had walked off to get something. A group of boys about 16 were following her. She tried to lose them. They continued to follow. They looked drunk. 'Oh great, drunks are so pleasant' she thought to herself._

_" Hey gorgeous! Where ya going?" one of them called. 'I'm 13, I don't have time for this shit.' She thought. She turned to go down and alley. 'Dammit, dead end.' She thought and turned. The boys had caught her. " Nowhere to run." The one who had asked he earlier said. He was most likely the leader. They advanced at her. He started making suggestive comments at her. She was petrified, the usually brave Mia was gone, and a coward was here to replace her. The boy pushed her against the wall. "Well beautiful, looks like I got you right where I want you." He said. She began to cry. She was afraid. She tried to bend, but she couldn't, she was too frightened. She couldn't scream, bend or even talk. She felt weak. Then, he started to run his hand up and down the side of her body. Some of the boys started to scream. He placed a hand on her chest and pushed her harder into the wall and turned his head. Fire, it was everywhere. The boy got scared and dropped her. Mia grabbed her stomach and fell. She continued to cry. The boy started to leave, but Zuko appeared and pushed him into the wall._

_"Don't you ever touch her again!" he yelled at the boy._

_"Okay, okay, I wont." The boy said. Zuko released him, then hurried to Mia side._

_" Did they hurt you?" he asked. She shook her head. He put his arm around her. "Shh." He said, trying to calm her down. She had been scared. She gathered herself._

_"Come on, let's go train." She said. He nodded and left.' "Hey, thanks for sticking up for me." She said. He smiled._

_"Well, I care about you like a sister, and I don't want you to get hurt."_

_"Oh crap, I'm late!" she cried and sprung to her feet._

_"I think I'll stay here longer." Zuko said. She nodded and dashed off. Mia came to her back gate. She swung it open and entered. She slipped quietly across the garden came to the training top, with its four metal poles surrounding it. She looked at the house; all the lights were out. She slipped quickly across the training top. The n a strong hand grabbed her and pushed her into a pole._

_" You dirty girl! Where have you been, its late!"_

_" I was training Zhao." She said quickly, ignoring the pain she felt on her back._

_"Well no one trains this late you little slut!" he barked at her. She didn't answer." Ha I knew it. You were doing that. Give me the money you got or did you do it for free?" he snapped._

_"I wasn't doing that Zhao, I told you, I was training." She said calmly, trying her best not to break out in tears in front of her oldest brother._

_" Stop lying you dirty hoe! You proberly went for free." He snapped at her. His hands, which were gripping her wrists, were burning into her flesh, and the smell was disgusting. She held in her breath, trying to not throw up._

_" I wasn't doing that Zhao." She repeated._

_"Of course not! It as proberly for that prince wasn't it. Yeah, I see the looks he gives you when he comes by."_

_"You mean concern for how I got all those bruises you give me." She snapped. He responded by burning her wrists harder. She winced at the pain. The weakness that she had felt earlier that day came back. She was scared. He pushed her harder into the pole._

_"You little brat. Give me the money!"_

_" I don't have any money."_

_" Yes you do!"_ Mia had just awoken from that memory. She hated it, she hated Zhao for doing that to her, and most of all she hated herself, for letting the bastard live instead of killing him in his sleep. She shivered as she pushed the memory once again to the back of her mind. A guard came into the room and grabbed her. He took her to the cell next door, where Katara and Zuko were. He opened the door very loudly. Katara woke up. "What's going on?" Katara asked the guard. He glanced at her.

"Princess Azula insists that Mia bunk with you two. She says she doesn't want her to burn down the ship." The guard pushed Mia in and left.

" Little…" Mia was swearing under her breath at the guard. Katara got up and walked over to Mia. Zuko sat up as the weight of the bed shifted.

"When did you get in here?" He asked her, rubbing his head. "So, which memory was it this time."

"Wrists." She said. Zuko nodded. Katara looked from Mia to Zuko to Mia again.

"Huh?" Katara asked.

"Don't ask." Mia said coldly. She sat down on the floor and crossed her legs. She placed her hands in a meditating position. "I'm meditating, maybe that will that get ride of those memories." She said with the same cold tone. She closed her eyes. Katara looked at her. Zuko sighed and lay back down to go back to sleep. Katara took a last glance at Mia and went back to sleep.

Chapter 5

'Wake up. Time to go back to work." The guard shouted at them. Katara got up and walked over to the gate. She knew that if she put up a fight, then she would be burnt or forced to. Mia sighed and got up and joined her. "Wow. Not talking? That's new." The guard said to Mia. She bit her lip, forcing herself not to insult him back. Katara sighed as they were handed brushes again. "Here, today you will do the dishes." He said. He directed them to the kitchen and left. Some of the other guards were behind them. She was sure that Katara couldn't hear their remarks, but Mia could. Being blind for almost 8 years had given her excellent hearing and feeling skills. She began to turn red at some of the comments. They were making such, disgusting comments. She sighed as she scrubbed the food off of a plate. She was used to these kinds of men by now. The men left and Katara started to talk to her.

"So, where did you learn that trick you did to Zuko?" She asked. Mia smiled.

"When I was 5, I accidentally hit myself in the face with a fire blast and accidentally blinded myself. I had to learn how to see all over again, but with vibrations, like your friend, the earth bender. Then when I was 13, I started to see. I freaked and my brother took me to the doctor. He couldn't explain how it happened. It just happened. I can still use vibrations to attack. I send the static that builds up in the ground and release it upward at an object" Mia looked down at the dish she was washing then out the window. The sun was setting. "That bastard should be back soon." Mia said with a sigh. Sure enough, the guard showed up to take them back top the room.

"Tomorrow you do not have to work." The guard announced to the girls and he grabbed their wrists to drag them back to their rooms.

Zuko tried to concentrate, but he was unsuccessful. His mind kept wandering to Katara and how beautiful she looked in that dress, it promoted all her curves. She looked so great in that dress. He sighed. Mia was a few months younger that him, Katara looked about the same age. She was hot. He couldn't think of Mia that way, she was like a sister to him. But Katara, he could think of her that way, and it was not disturbing in any way. He sighed. It was so hot in there. He pulled his shirt off again. The guard entered with Mia and Katara again. Mia looked pissed. She quickly shook her head and her face turned into a look of no expression. She sat down. "Maybe Zuko should sleep on the floor and me and Mia should use the bed." Katara suggested as she sat down on the bed.

"I hate beds. I want to sleep on the floor." Mia said. Zuko shrugged and sat down on the bed. " Zuko, put a shirt on." Mia groaned. "People will wonder." Katara blushed and lay down.

"Mia, You little pervert." Zuko snapped at her. " I'm not putting a shirt on, it's too hot in here."

"What ever." She groaned and leaned back, closing her eyes. Zuko shrugged and lay down on the bed, next to Katara with his back to her. She sighed and turned her back to him. She fell asleep.

When Katara woke up, she felt something heavy across her. She opened her eyes and gasped. She and Zuko must of both roll over last night. He had draped his arm around her waist. She looked at his bare chest in front of her. It looked so warm and inviting. Her eyes darted up to his face; he looked asleep. So she snuggled closer just for a second, than she pulled back again. He smelled so good, but she didn't want to scare him. She slipped out from under his arm and sat of the edge of the bed. She sighed. Mia was asleep, leaning against the wall. Suddenly her eyes shot open.

"Someone's coming." Mia announced. Zuko heard and sat up at this, putting on his shirt. They heard a faint argument.

"Do you wanna blow the lid off the place… … What the hell! …. Don't light up…. No! … Oh Shit." They heard a guard say. Then came a very


	3. Step aside

Fire that helps Chapter 3

**sorry, but at the end of the other chapter it was supposed to say loud boom, sorry if i confused anyone. i wouldn't know, im confused all the time. **

Katara felt herself thrown to the side of the ship. She hit her head on the wall as everything started to swirl. She felt herself thrown out of the ship and into the water. She could see feel, touch smell and taste, and she was conscious, but her limbs wouldn't obey her. She couldn't move. She was sinking. Then she felt something around her waist. She tried to see whom but she couldn't move her head either. She spotted an island not to far from shore when who ever had grabbed her brought her up for air. She gasped and looked at the island. It looked pretty small. She spotted Mia, swimming for the island. Whatever or whoever had her began to move again, toward the island this time. She still couldn't move. Soon they came to shore, and Katara could see whom it was who had saved her. Zuko. She stared dumbfounded for a moment. Zuko? Why would he save me? That thought kept running through her head over and over, she had no answer. He was panting as he collapsed behind the trunk of a tree, near Mia who looked at her.

"Katara, get over here before they see us!" Mia whispered hastily at her. Katara stood up and went over there.

"Huh?" Katara asked.

" This is the only land for miles around, this is the first place that they will look. We need to stay hidden." Mia told her. "Let's move." Mia spotted her sword a little to her right and went to grab them. There were lots of weapons in that area so she started to select some of them.

" I don't know, Zuko doesn't look like he can." Katara said.

" I can move perfectly fine." Zuko snapped and stood up. He didn't look harmed. Mia closed her eyes and tilted her head up. She snapped her head back and looked at them.

" There is caves, covering the side of the mountain. We should be able to find one that is really well hidden if we move that way. There is a forest that looks really dense that covers the entrance to several of the caves."

"Mia, incase you haven't noticed, its dark out and in dense forest, the light from the fire might set it on fire."

" Who said we will use fire to see? Zuko put Katara in front of you and grad my shoulders. I can lead the way I don't need light."

"Fine" Zuko grumbled. He grabbed Katara's shoulders and steered her toward Mia, who wasn't facing them. He let go of her shoulders and grabbed Mia's shoulders, leaving Katara trapped between to two. Mia began to move. They must of walked for an hour, listening to Mia say when to lift a foot, when to turn or duck. Finally Mia led them to a small cave. Once inside Mia lit her hand. Zuko reached behind him and grabbed some branches and leaves, set them on fire and placed them far enough back in the cave so that you couldn't see the light from the front of the cave. Katara felt left out, both of the people she was with were fire benders and she was a water bender, the complete opposite of a fire bender. She sighed and bent some of the water away from the area where they were. Zuko leaned on the side of the cave. She sighed as he let his knees buckle under his own weight. He fell asleep. Mia looked at him and sighed.

"Alright, spill." She said to Katara. Katara spun around and looked at her.

" Huh?"

" Well, about you and Zuko. You obviously like him, and I think he likes you too."

"What are you talking about?" Katara asked her, blushing. " I don't like Zuko."

"Don't lie to me."

"Fine."

"Fine what?"

" I like him okay? Will you shut up now and back off."

" Sorry. God you're lucky. Did you see him without a shirt? Whoa, it's like is it hot in here all of a sudden?"

"Well if he's so hot, then why don't you like him?"

" Cause he's like a brother to me. I'm sorry, but I can think of some one like a brother without a shirt but with pants on, just not without the pants. Anyway, wouldn't it be weird, kissing some one like your brother? That image is way to disturbing in my mind."

" Oh."

" I'm tired. I'm putting the fire out, so that we can sleep undiscovered."

" Sure."

" Ya know, when he's awake, he's a pain in the ass, but when he's asleep, he is so nice to have near." Mia said, Katara sighed and slid down the side of the cave, about 6 yards from Zuko and 4 yards from Mia. Then Mia put the light out. Katara closed her eyes.

Zuko opened his eyes and looked down. He had rolled over during the night. It was dawn, and just enough light passed through the bushes and trees in front of the cave to see. He had draped his arm over the water girl… Katara, she had said her name was. He lifted his arm and stood up. Looking around, he saw that the fire was still going strong, and moving with every breath that Mia took, and off in the distance, smoke. He sighed and kicked her with his toe. She opened her eyes and glared at him. " Bastard." She mumbled as she sat up.

"We need to go out and find food. I think that there is a small village over that way." He pointed toward the direction where most of the smoke was coming from. " Its too far inland for Azula and her troops." Mia nodded.

"Katara, wake up." Mia looked over at her friend and said. "Katara, WAKE UP!" Mia repeated, much louder. Katara sat up in a start.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"We need to go into the small village up there and buy some supplies." Mia told her, Katara looked at Zuko and he nodded. The three stood up and climbed out of the cave. They walked to town in silence. About halfway there, Mia noticed that she and Katara were still dressed in those stupid uniforms. So Mia grabbed her swords and headed off toward the side. "Wait here." She ordered. She disappeared into and alley. About five minutes later she returned, with a Katara's dress and a black skirt and top. " We need to change, these dresses are to recognizable." Katara didn't bother asking where she had gotten them from. She was just glad to have her clothes back. Zuko turned around So that they could change. The girls quickly slipped into their outfits. "Okay, we're done." She said. Zuko turned around.

"Lets go." He said and started walking. The girls nodded and followed. They came into town; the market was bustling with activity. People were hurrying from place to place, getting what they needed and moving. Katara couldn't figure out why they were moving. Then she saw them. Earth nation soldiers. They walked the streets like they owned them. People moved quickly. Then, one man, near where they were standing, didn't move.

"You, why didn't you move?" the biggest solider yelled at him The man stared him strait in the eye.

"Because you are my equal, not any better than me. You are here to protect me, and these people, not scare them within an inch of their lives." The man said. The soldier's eyes narrowed.

" Ya know what my punishment is for a mouth like that?" the solider asked.

"There shouldn't be one, I have done nothing wrong." The man insisted.

" Ass whopping." The solider snapped and drew up his giant hammer. The next thing Katara knew, Mia was in front of the solider. The man had taken a step back. The solider had his giant hammer high in the air, ready to bring down.

"Step aside honey."

" No you bastard. I think you should fight someone more, capable of kicking your sorry ass. After all, killing you would make one less arrogant bastard in the world."

"Oh shit." Zuko groaned.

" Honey, I don't want to hurt your little pretty face." The man took another step back. " And anyway, I need to teach this one respect." He reached down and pushed her aside. On his part, this was a big mistake.

"Don't' touch me." Mia yelped as she sprung into action. She slide her leg under him and tripped him 'Wow, she must be really strong, that solider looks kind of big.' Katara thought silently to herself. He instincts told her to jump in and help. She took a step forward, but Zuko grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked, gazing up at him

"Watch." Was all he said? The man had angered.

" Fine missy, you want to play with the big kids?" he snapped after he realized that she had tripped him. The man ran off. The solider tried to swing at her, but she pulled out her own broad swords and swatted him back. She swung the sword just in time to backfire the movement of the hammer. The hammer swung back and hit the solider in the stomach. He yelled. " Blue 42." Another solider came up behind her and blind folded her. The crowd that had gathered gaped. Katara turned,

"We have to help her now! He's going to kill her." Katara said, in a worried voice.

" Didn't she tell you about those 8 years?" Zuko reminded her. She remembered and smiled.

" Not so tough now, are ya?" the solider snapped. Another one held Mia in place. She snickered.

"Yes." She flipped the solider that was holding her over her head and into the other solider. " Actually, I'm tougher."

The man angered, and came at her from behind, at an angle impossible to see, even if she could. She quickly spun around and grabbed the soldier's wrists, forcing him to drop the hammer on his own toe. He shrieked as she pushed him backward into a trudge of water. She stood in front of him. "So, accept you're defeat? Or do I have to do it again?" She snapped. The solider glared and stood up. He left without responding.

" Mia!" a voice came. It wasn't Zuko or Katara. " You're under arrest you, stupid lousy firebender!" She froze. The person broke through the crowd.

" Firebender?"

"Let's get her"

" Yeah! That would be one less stupid firebender." Mia backed up against the wall as the people surrounded her. She didn't take her blindfold off. She suddenly froze with fear. Zuko tensed, Katara could feel it in the grip he had on her shoulder.

" We have to save her." Zuko announced. Katara nodded. She and Zuko pushed through the crowd until they were close to the front. Katara sent a blast or water through the crowd. Zuko ran up to Mia and grabbed her wrists. She was freaked. He dragged her through he crowd and into the forest as fast as her could. Katara ran through the crowd after them and caught them quick. The tree of them slipped into the cave and ducked as the villagers and soldiers ran by, cursing and scowling about how they didn't see it before, how the three of them were wanted. Zuko dropped Mia and collapsed onto the ground near the fire. Mia just sat there for about ten minutes. Katara sat down next where Zuko was laying. He sat up and pulled his shirt off and lay back down.

" Thanks." Mia stammered out.

" Its okay." Katara couldn't believe her ears. Zuko was apologizing? That was new.

"Umm, Mia? Could you take off that blindfold? It's kind of creeping me out." Katara asked Mia. Mia nodded and pulled the blindfold off. She squeezed her eyes shut and put her head in her hands. " Are you okay?" Katara asked her. Mia shook her head no.

" The memories. They won't go away." Mia said quietly, as few lone tears fell from her eyes. Mia swallowed hard. " I froze up, I shouldn't of. I should have burnt them to a crisp or something. I put you both in danger. I'm sorry."

" Mia, Its not your fault. What did you do anyway?" Katara asked. Mia smiled and let out a small laugh.

" I used to perform there, ya know as entertainment. I would do acrobatic routines. Then, one time, I saw a Yun-Yan archer. I shot lighting at him automatically. The town felt betrayed and began to tell everyone, they chased me out of town. Because of it, I've had to live life on the run." She whispered. " I used to train with Yun-Yan archers. I would have to shoot sticks or whatever that looked like them. It was a reflex. I usually try not to hurt people unless they hurt fist. I hate killing." Katara nodded. " I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." Katara shrugged. Mia lay down onto the ground of the cave. She closed her eyes and put out the fire. Katara sighed and fell asleep.


	4. Take that back

**Okay, could someone please review? pretty please? omg why won't they shut up? ompa opma opma de SHUT UP. why are relitives oh so annoying?

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**Fire that helps Chapter 4

Katara felt something heavy draped across her. She opened her eyes and looked up, Zuko. She must have rolled during the night. She was facing his bare chest. His chest was so toned, so muscular. She sighed and snuggled closer. She closed her eyes again and tried to sleep when she realized something, Mia was missing. It was after dawn and Mia was gone. Her eyes shot open. " Zuko are you awake?" she asked.

"Yeah." He rolled over and blushed. " Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up, you seemed tiered."

"That's okay, how long have you been up?"

"Since dawn."

" Do you know where Mia went?"

" No, I thought you might know." Katara looked around. She reached up and felt the top of her head. Her hair was out. Mia had taken the ribbon that held her hair in place. She sighed and continued to look around. She spotted a piece of paper and walked over to it she picked it up and read it.

Katara and Zuko,

Please forgive me, this is for your own good. I have decided to remove myself from this group. Do not try to find me. You will only be hurt. I am sorry, but I am too recognizable. My eyes, no one else in the world has black eyes. Do not split up. Bad things happen when groups split up and continue by them selves. Find the avatar, save the world and be happy. Do not worry about me. Don't come after me. By the time you read this I will be long gone. I wish that there was another way to keep you safe, but there is not. I love you both.

Mia

Ps, Katara I took your hair ribbon. It fell out of your hair.

Katara was in shock. She dropped the paper. "What is it?" Zuko asked he picked the paper up. He read it.

" Dammit. This is the second time she did this."

" What do you mean?"

" The day I was banished, it was her 14th birthday. She came to see me, in the infirmary. They wouldn't let her in, so she came in through the window. I told I was being banished and why. She converted me, and said that she would be there when I leave. She was. The next day, my uncle received a paper, saying that she was missing. I was upset, but I didn't show it. She had plenty of reasons to run, but why now? It made me think it was my fault that she kept getting hurt, that she only stayed for me."

"Zuko, its not your fault."

"Come on, we need to get moving and find your brother and the avatar." Zuko said. He grabbed his and Katara's things and headed for the exit. " Are you coming?"

"Yeah." She got up and followed him out. The two began to walk.

Meanwhile…

* * *

Sokka groaned. He, Toph, and Aang had been searching for a month now and, no Katara. But, they were hot on her trail. They traced her to a small island and were searching it. Sokka headed into the woods to check it. He spotted a campsite. He walked toward it, No Katara. He sighed and began to look around. Then, in an instant a girl came out of no where. She pushed him up against a tree. " You, who are you and what do you want?" she demanded. For a girl, she had a very strong grip. She was also very pretty. He looked at her wrist. She had a navy blue ribbon tied around her wrist. It had Katara embellished on it.

" Hey, where did you get that ribbon?"

" Answer my question first."

" No! Katara is my sister"

"What." She cried and released his shoulder. She turned around.

" You heard me, thief!"

"I didn't steal it.

" Then where did you find it."

I'm not telling."

"Why?"

"Cause you could be lying."

" Well I'm not."

" She was my friend. I was putting her and Zuko in danger, so I left. I took this to remember her."

" You're friends with my sister!"

" Yes."

" Now answer my question."

"I'm Sokka. I'm looking for Katara. Do you know where she is."

"No, I left, I told you."

" Oh."

" You're kind of cute." She spun around and looked at him.

" Thank you." He said, quietly. "Well, um, yeah, that and your kind of well pretty."

"Thank you."

" Look out!" Sokka yelled. He jumped at her and pushed her to the ground. A stray rock flew out of nowhere. He pushed her down and landed on her. She looked up at him. He was on top of her.

" So, who's your friend?" Toph asked. She was standing to the left of Sokka and Mia.

'What?" Sokka yelled and dropped her head.

"Owe." She said

"Sorry." Sokka said to her. He stood up, blushing.

"So, who's your friend that you were just on top of?" Toph asked again

" Who's that?" Aang asked coming up from behind "Woah."

" Woah what?' Toph asked

" Woah how well um pretty that girl is." Aang said. Toph sent him flying. "What I say?"

" Shut up, blinded." Sokka snapped at Toph

" Hey don't make fun of blind people!" Mia snapped at him

"Why not?" Sokka asked

"Hey, I don't need people to stick up for me!"

"Cause its wrong." She snarled and stormed away.

"What's her problem?" Sokka asked.

"She's lying." Aang said as soon as she stormed out

" How do you know."

"I can sense it."

" Sokka, go find your new girlfriend. She said that she knew Katara." Sokka rolled his eyes. He would have protested, but he was tiered, and this girl could lead him to Katara. He ran after where the girl had gone. He didn't see her. _Did she just disappear into thin air? _ He wondered. He looked up and she was in the tree.

" Dammit. Don't you ever leave?" she groaned and jumped down from the tree branch.

"How'd you get up there so fast?"

" I used a jumping technique."

" Where have I seen you before?"

" I don't know. Move." She shoved him aside and walked past, back to the camp.

"Hey, what did you do that for you stupid girl?" Sokka snapped. She spun around.

"I highly doubt that your intelligence is higher than mine. Filthy water peasant."

" What are you royalty."

" Used to be a nobles daughter. Removed myself from that shit hole."

"Then what right do you have to call me a filthy water peasant?"

"Mine." She snapped.

" Girls, they are so weird. You're lucky you're a girl. Or I would have kicked your ass."

" I highly doubt you could do that."

" Oh yeah?"

" Yeah."

" Well then lets go."

" Fine." Mia snapped as she pulled out her broad swords. Sokka grabbed his boomerang. He threw it at her. She ducked and threw blue fire at him.

" You're a firebender?" he exclaimed. She didn't look like a firebender.

"Yeah." She told him.

" You dirty little bitch!" he yelled.

"Why, Because I'm a firebender? You can go to hell, you racist, sexist, bastard!"

"You and all like you are already going there!"

" For your information, just because someone is a firebender doesn't mean that they are going to hell!"

"Yes it does, killer!" Sokka snapped. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Take that back."

" No." She wrestled him to the ground.

"Take it back!" she yelled

"No!" he yelled back as he rolled over to put him on top.

* * *

Katara and Zuko had been walking for about an hour, when they heard something. "Take it back… Because I said so… If you don't watch it I'm gonna toast you…" The two looked at each other.

"Mia." They both exclaimed. Zuko broke into a run; he couldn't let her get hurt again. He burst into the clearing to find Mia wrestling with the water tribe boy. They didn't notice him. He waited until Mia was on top and grabbed the back of her shirt and pried her off him. "Mia!" he yelled.

" I told you not to come after me!"

" I didn't, we were walking and heard you yelling, your voice is a little loud." He shook her hair and she smiled. He smiled too. Sokka looked at him confused. The prince of the fire benders could smile? What the hell? Then he saw Katara.

"Zuko, why do you have to run so fast? Sokka!" she yelled as she saw her brother. She ran forward and gave Sokka a big hug.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked her.

" Katara you're back!" Aang yelled, coming through the trees. " Zuko!" he yelled, getting into fighting position.

"Katara who's this?" Mia asked Katara.

"That's Aang, Aang its okay. They're my friends." Katara said.

" You're friends with ZUKO!" Sokka screeched

"What the hell is going on?" Toph asked, confused

" Shut up Sokka. He saved me." Katara snapped

" From what? A bunny rabbit?" Sokka snapped back

" Hey!" Zuko yelled

" Well, you're definitely not a warrior." Sokka said in a matter of fact voice.

" All right, you're going down!" Zuko yelled and jumped at him. Fire started flying everywhere.

"I'm outta here." Mia yelled and ran off into the forest.

"Hey, Break it up!" Aang yelled. "Katara, can I get some help?" He ran ad Sokka and pinned his arms behind his back.

"Ow…" Sokka groaned. Katara grabbed Zuko's shoulders and pulled him backwards.

" Calm down you two. You're going to attract that freaky girl." Katara snapped at Zuko and Sokka in an angry tone. The two boys looked down.

" That freaky blue fire girl? And the one with the spiky things?" Aang asked her.

" They're here. They captured me Zuko and Mia. We got away, but I bet that they are looking for us." Katara said, looking at a tree.

" That's my sister Azula." Zuko said.

"That's your sister?" Sokka asked him.

" Yeah."

" Then who's that other girl."  
"That's my best friend, Mia."

" I knew she was no good, she's best friends with a dirt bag like you." Zuko went to jump at him aging, but Katara had a strong grip on his arm.

" You're not going anywhere." She growled at him.

" What do we do with him now?" Sokka asked.

" I say we take him along with us. He might be able to help us with Azula." Katara voiced.

' Zuko would you like to join our team?" Aang looked at him and asked.

" Why not? Just be warned, Azula is deadly and precise. And insane."

" Guess it runs in the family." Sokka growled. "Okay big boy, some ground rules. 1) No firebending at people. 2) No acting all high and mighty. 3) Everyone pulled their own weight. When we find a campsite, it'll be your job to make a campfire and keep it going. You have to do that. Got it?"

" Sure." He grumbled. Katara dropped his arm.

" Hey Where's Mia?" Katara looked around.  
" I don't know." Zuko groaned.

"Well we should get a move on. She looks big enough to take care of herself." Sokka announced.


	5. So thats what this stuff does

**Hello invisible readers. this will be the last chapter for a while, i have already got chap 6 and i'm almost done chap 7, but until The Prophency of Fire gets 5 reviews, no more of this story. Pitty, its cliffy. This is not the end though. Come on, 4 measly reviews. you can do it!  
**

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Fire that helps Chapter 5 

A week later, Zuko was sitting on a log, away from the rest. He really liked Katara, but he was positive that she did not like him back. She was just plain nice. And anyway, she was too good for him. He sighed and brushed some dirt off his new cloths. A black pair of pants, black tunic and a black hooded poncho, to hide his scar.

Katara sighed. She put her head in her hands. She was sitting on a rock, a little bit away from camp. She needed to think. She still really like Zuko, but was positive that he didn't like her back that way. And anyway, he had Mia, a gorgeous firebender who is not shy in anyway, like her. She sighed again and got up. She went to the river, where she was supposed to go in the first place, to get water. She filled her canteen and looked around. She spotted Zuko, with his head in his hands, sitting on a log. _Here's your chance. Go for it. _Her conscious whispered to her. She walked over to him and sat down next to him on the log. "Zuko, are you okay?" she asked him she placed her hand on his back.

"Yeah." He sat up.

"Zuko, don't lie to me. Something is wrong. Is it about Mia?" she asked him. He shook his head no. "Is it about a girl?" he hesitated, then nodded yes. "Well, do you want to talk about it?" he shook his head no and stood up.

"I better get the fire wood and head back." He said and walked off. Katara watched him walk off and sighed. He seemed o be avoiding her. Just another reason to believe that he doesn't like her. She got up and walked back to camp, maybe she could get Sokka to talk to him. After all, they were both guys, and she at least got him to say the problem was about a girl. She hurried back, Zuko wasn't back yet.

" Sokka, can I talk to you?" she asked him. Toph and Aang were dueling so he followed.

"What's up?" he asked

"Its Zuko…" she began

" He tried to touch you didn't he? That dirty, fire nation bastard…"

" Sokka!" she cut him off. "He did not try to touch to me. Something is wrong with him…"

" You can say that again."

" Sokka! No it's not that way, I think. I got him to at least say it was about a girl. Could you talk to him?"

" Absolutely not. He might try to kill me!"

" Please?"

" Fine." He caved and grumbled. Katara smiled happily and the two walked back to camp. Zuko had returned and was putting some more wood in the fire. " Zuko, can we talk?"

" What ever." Zuko grumbled. Sokka glared at Katara and she smiled and got to make dinner. The two boys walked into the clearing out of ear shot. "What's up?"

"Nothing." He growled.

"Zuko, Katara asked me to talk to you because you wouldn't talk to her. Something is wrong and I want you to tell me. Katara said it was about a girl?" Zuko stared at his feet.

"Yeah."

" Well? Start talking." Sokka said. He really didn't want to help the firebender, but if it would make Katara happy, then he would. Zuko sighed.

" This girl I know, she doesn't like me, I am positive of that, but I really like her. I don't know how to stop liking her, I don't want to freak her out." He finally said.

" Did you ask?"

" No."

"Well than, you should. You can't be positive of anything until you have asked." Zuko looked at him.

" I can't believe a kid younger than me is giving me advice on girls, an I think that it will work." Sokka smiled.

" Who's the girl?"

"No one that you know."

" Is it that Mia girl we ran into about a week ago?"  
" No, she is like a sister to me. I'm sorry, but that is disturbing."

" We better get back to camp." Sokka said. Zuko nodded and followed Sokka back to camp. Toph and Aang came back from where ever they were training.

" Just admit it, I beat you!" Aang sung.

" Lucky shot!" Toph snorted. Katara smiled and passed out fish to everyone.

That night, Katara couldn't sleep. She wondered who the girl was that Zuko was having problems with. They hadn't seen to many girls. Maybe, he was having problems forgetting a girl from his past. A past girlfriend maybe? She got up and walked to the river to practice bending. It always helped clear her mind. Maybe then she could sleep.

Zuko cracked an eye open as Katara left. He was always a light sleeper. He watched her leave. _Go now! Here's your chance. It's being handed to you on a sliver platter! Hurry and take it! _He got up and followed her to the river. He watched to bend the water with ease. He leaned on a tree and watched her, with a smile. Katara looked up and saw him. She dropped the water she was bending. "You're really good." He said. "No wonder you're a master."

"Thanks." Katara said with a blush. "What are you doing up?"

"You woke me up."

"Oh, sorry, I couldn't sleep."

"It's okay." He said. Then they heard some weird noises. Katara jumped.

" Could you walk back with me? I'm kind of scared now."

"Sure." He said with a small laugh. Katara began to walk toward him, but she tripped on a root. He jumped forward to catch her. Their faces were inches apart. She stares into his deep, golden eyes, and he stared into her pure blue eyes. She reached up and caressed his check.

"Zuko?"

" Yeah?"

"Was the girl… Is it… Me?" she asked. He blushed.

" Yeah." He let her stand on her own and turned around, his back to her.

" Zuko? I like you too." She said. She was shocked at her own words. That didn't sound like her, it sounded confident, like Mia. he turned to look at her. He smiled and reached out, to take her hand. She smiled and leaned on his chest. She closed her eyes.

"Katara?" he asked. She looked up at him.

"Ye…" she stared to say. He leaned down and kissed her, cutting her off. She dropped his hand and put her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. When they finally broke apart, Katara smiled at him. "We better go back." She said. He nodded, with a smile on his face as well. He kept on arm around her waist and walked back with her to the camp. Everyone else was still asleep. "Good night." She told him and kissed him on the check before going back to her sleeping bag. She crawled in it and fell asleep.

About 2 months later, the comet was approaching. Aang had mastered waterbending, earthbending and started working on firebending, but he couldn't get it. Not even a spark.

" I think you need a more advanced teacher. I'm not even a master yet." Zuko said. He had grown a lot nicer and calmer in those few months. He looked around, and recognized where they were. He remembered a scroll he received about a month ago.

_Zuko,_

_As my best friend, I have decided to at least let you know where I am. I am in the town of Kwan-Si. I won't tell you what I'm doing there, but if you need to find me, it is here that you will._

_Love, Mia_

"Hey Aang, what's that town over there called?" he looked t him and asked.

"Umm Kwan-Si, I think."

" I think I know where I can get you a firebending teacher. Come on"

" That's an earth nation town, how are we supposed to find a fire bender there?" Sokka said.

"Just get up and let's go." Katara huffed and followed Zuko and Aang. Toph and Sokka followed

There was some sort of festival going on in the town. It was hard to get through the crowd so they came up with an order. Zuko, Katara, Aang, Toph, Sokka. They all held hands and worked their way through the crowd. Suddenly, Zuko stopped and Katara ran into him.

"Attention ladies and gentleman. I would like to present to you, Mia Su our dancer for the night. I am telling you, especially the boys, you will not be disappointed." The announcer said and stepped down from the stage. Everything went dark.

"Zuko, don't you think we should keep moving?" Katara whispered in his ear.

" Hold on." He whispered back. Aang watched them and sighed. The two of them had been sneaking off together every night. He had gotten up and followed them once. He had seen Zuko making out with Katara, he had been crushed, but he kept it a secret. He knew that if he told, he would have betrayed Katara's trust and he would most likely get Zuko killed by Sokka. He turned his attention back to the stage. He was amazed at how precise the girl moved, then he recognized how she moved. She was moving like she was firebending, but without the fire. She was nice to look at though. Tanned skin, bright brown hair with blonde mixed in, but he couldn't see her eyes. She finished her moves and then everything went dark again. The lights came back on, with her up high in the air! She was standing on top of a 5 persons high pyramid. She did a front flip off and landed on to some people's hands. They threw her up once, twice then she landed on the ground, the people move quickly to the sides and she did 2 back handsprings, landing in a split. The music stopped, confirming she was done. Everyone clapped. The girl smiled and walked of the stage. Zuko ran forward, dragging Katara, Aang, Toph and Sokka with him. The girl got bombarded with guys, asking her things. She politely was turning them off when Zuko got up to her. He waited till all the guys left and she turned and began to walk out of the crowd. "Wait here, I'll be right back." He ordered them and ran after the girl.

Mia felt a hand on her shoulder. She thought was alone in the woods. She spun around ready to attack. " Zuko?" she asked. He smiled.

"You were really good." Zuko told her

" Thanks." She said. "Why are you here?"

" I can't come and see my best friend for no reason?" he asked. She gave him a look. "Okay, the avatar needs a firebending teacher. I thought maybe you could…"

" No, Zuko I stopped firebending. The last time I bent was over two months ago."

" Think about it, please?" he asked her. She sighed, then looked at him. "You look different." She paused. "Like you've been, you've been making out with Katara, haven't you."

" No."

" Don't lie to me Zuko, I can tell when you're lying."

"okay."

"IEEE I knew it!" she cried.

" Don't tell Sokka, he doesn't know. He thinks we hate each other."

"Kay. I think I might just go along with this game of life. I'll teach the avatar. But Zuko, I think he should ask me. After all, he's the one I'm teaching."

"Alright. I talk to him Where are you staying?"

" Um, over there. Just ask for Mia Su." She smiled. "Gotta go. Can't keep those boys waiting."

" For what?"

"Dancing, boss sells us to boys are age to dance with them for 10 minute blocks. I get half the profit."

"Oh."

" I'll be fine. Now, you go talk to the avatar. But you'll need to break me out. I can't pay for me freedom yet." Mia turned and left. He sighed. She was like a baby sister to him, he didn't like that she was dancing for money. He walked back to the spot where he had left the others.

"Where'd you go?" Aang asked him when he returned.

'Hold on. Sir." Zuko asked a man running a booth for masks," Where is the dancing?"

" Head strait into the center of town. They should be having a waltz…"

"Thank you." Zuko cut him off and left. "We need to go there. The person who could teach you is there. I confirmed it. Aang, I think you should ask though."

"Okay. Let's go. We have to time to waste." Aang said. They walked into the center of town.

"Okay, we need to bled in. Zuko and I can dance, Toph and Aang, and Sokka, you find a girl to dance with. Meet up here in half an hour."

"I don't dance." Zuko said as the others left.

"What? Are you scared? Can't dance?" Katara teased

" I don't like to." Zuko answered simply

"That's cause you can't."

"For your information, I can dance just fine."

"Prove it."

"Fine, I will!" He took her hand and led her out. He waited for the music to start.

"Okay folks, it's the waltz contest time. We start slow and as we go we speed up. Those left at the end of the waltz will receive 10 gold coins. When we tap your shoulder, you're out! So, don't miss a step and lets go!" the music started, as a slow earth nation waltz. Then it quickened a bit. Katara glanced around. Toph and Aang were already out and Sokka was flirting with some girls. She turned to look at Zuko, he looked bored with this. The announcer came back on stage. "Keep dancing, but we have decided to mix it up a bit. We're changing the dancing to a fire nation waltz. Winner gets 100 gold pieces!" Zuko's face changed as he led her into the waltz. Soon, everyone was gone, but the two of them. He spun her around expertly. Once the waltz finished, Katara felt a little dazed. She looked around. Everyone was gone, Zuko and her had been the only two dancing. The announcer came down to them." Wow, where did you learn to do that?" Zuko shrugged, making sure to keep his scar hidden. " Well its not over till the fat lady sings. Now you two have to go pair on pair with our best dancer at this waltz and a random audience member." The announce looked around. " You." He grabbed Sokka by the collar.

" Hey!" he protested.

"What's your name?"

"Sokka. What do you want?"

" You have been selected to compete in out contest. Winner gets 100 coins and half the bidding profits."

"Sign me up. Who's my partner."

" Jun!" The announcer called. A man came up with about five girls in tow, all about his age. The girls were all dressed in skimpy outfits and chained together. "Give me Mia Su." He told him. Jun nodded and released the cuffs on one of the girls, the prettiest girl just to be exact. "This is you're partner. Dance off will begin in 2 minutes! Get ready." He left.

"I'll lead. I'm good at this." Mia Su said as soon as the announcer left.

" Hey, aren't you the girl who did the acrobatic dance?"

"Yeah."

"You were good."

"Thanks." She smiled. She had a beautiful smile. She looked up. "Half and half. I get half, you get half. Maybe then I get away from here." She led him out. They danced. It was hard, but Sokka kept up. He didn't know how he did it either, but he did. Then he slipped and fell. Mia was left standing there. She just stood there. That man Jun came up and cuffed her, he led her away. Aang and Toph ran up to him.

"Sokka, are you okay?"

" Yeah, I'm good. Too bad, I thought I could of won."

"Don't count your losses yet. Zuko and Katara were the other contestants. We get all the profit money." Aang whispered to him. Sokka nodded. He watched as a large sack was handed to Zuko and Katara. Katara smiled and thanked the man. Zuko nodded and walked out in the other direction. Katara followed.

"What happened to her? She keeps sticking up for Zuko and stuff. What's wrong with her?" Aang shrugged, he knew why, but knew better that to tell Sokka.

" Come on, we better get back to camp." The three left.

"Wow, there is like 200 gold coins here!" Aang cried as they began to unload and count the money.

"More than that." Zuko said. "Aang I talked to the person I want to teach you firebending. We need to break her out."

"Where is she?"

" I'll take you there." Zuko said

'Actually, I would like to. I always sit back and let you two do the fighting and the rescuing. I want to do some!" Sokka wined.

" Fine, Zuko you take Sokka. I'll stay here."

" What ever, lets move." The two boys left and ran off. Zuko led him to what looked like a giant motel. He came around to the side and quickly melted the bars on the window open. He had to stand on his tip toes because the widow was high

"If she's a firebender, how come she didn't melt the bars over.?" Sokka asked him, Zuko shrugged.

"Get on my shoulders. I can't climb in there." He told Sokka. Sokka grumbled but climbed up. He saw a room, with a fire place and a bed. " Go in, god, could you lay off the fatting things? You're really heavy." Sokka mumbled something under his breath and climbed in. The door opened and a girl was pushed in. She was muttering something under her breath. She turned around. It was the girl Sokka had danced with.

" You here to get me out of here?" she asked. Sokka nodded. Mia Su jumped out the window. Sokka jumped out after her. "Hey." She said to Zuko and gave him a hug. " Thank you both." Sokka nodded. _I danced with a firebender? I had a crush on a firebender? Ah, ewe, that is nasty. They are savages, barbarians! _he kept telling himself. They arrived back at camp.

"Is this her?" Aang asked Zuko when they got there. "Let's see what you can do." The girl nodded. She threw a lighting bolt at a fly. The fly fell to the ground, it wasn't squashed. "Wow." Was all that Aang said. " We can start tomorrow." The girl nodded/ "What's your name?"

"Mia." She said

"I thought it was Mia Su?" Sokka said

"Su is a term added to my name to identify what in am." Mia answered

"Which is?" Sokka pried.

" Well, we should get some sleep." Toph cut in. She knew what it meant, the term Su was a girl paid to dance with men until they can buy their freedom. At 15, the girls names are changed again to Ju (name) Su and they become hookers for their bosses. The girls are always captured prisoners. She must be younger than she looks. Katara came back to camp.

"Mia, I haven't seen you since you left!" she cried.

'Hey, yeah I kind of needed to get away." Mia said sheepishly.

"This is Appa. Appa, Mia will be riding with us now." Aang told the giant fur-ball. In response it groaned. Mia stepped back. That thing was big, furry and smelly. Everyone got on.

"So Zuko, how do you know Mia?" Toph asked. As they flew. He gripped the side of the saddle and tried not to think how high up he was. He still was not used to Appa after two months.

"We were best friends when we were little." He answered. "Then I got, banished."

"Oh, Mia are you even awake?" Toph asked. The girl had subsided her movement, so it was like she wasn't even there.

"Yeah, what can't tell weather I am or not?" Mia asked.

'How did you know that I use my earthbending to see."

"I know a lot of things, now shut up. I need to meditate or I'll explode on something or someone." The rest of the night was flown in silence.

"Hey." Katara nudged him awake. They had landed, he must have not noticed. He must have really been tired for him to wake up at the giant flying fur-ball landing.

"Hey." He said to her. He put his hands behind his head.

"Want to go for a walk?" she asked him

" Sure." He said. Katara extended her arm to him and pulled him up. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her along with him into the dense woods.

Toph laid with her eyes closed. She had been planing on scaring Katara, she had woken her up, but she didn't say anything. She could smell things coming off her, the same things she smelt when her parent's were horney. She listened as Katara woke Zuko up and asked him to go for a walk with her. _Yeah, she is definitely horney, and Zuko is too. OMFG that is what I have been sensing. Katara and Zuko have the hots for each other! How could she have missed this? _She thought to herself. She decided to let them slide.

Katara giggled quietly as she could while she and Zuko started fooling around. They had been doing this since they had discovered they liked each other,

"Zuko, don't you think you can wait?" She asked him They had had 'the talk' a few days ago and decided that they should wait until they got married.

"Yeah, you're just so damn sexy!" he whispered into her ear. She smiled.

"You are too ya know" She told him. He hushed her and kissed her again. She smiled and pulled him closer to her.

"Dammit you two, wake up before Sokka does." Zuko opened his eyes. He saw Mia standing over him. Toph was in the background, practicing. He looked down, Katara was snuggled up in his arms. "The avatar starts his training at day break, I suggest you two move it, unless you want him to see." Mia told him. She turned and walked back to camp.

"Hey, Katara wake up." Zuko nudged her gently in his arms. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

" Hey," she said tiredly.

" Hey, come on before Sokka gets up" she nodded and stood up.

'I better go start on breakfast." Katara said. She walked off toward camp. Zuko grabbed her wrist and spun her around, toward him. " Wha…" she started. He planted a big kiss on her lips. By instinct she put her arms up around his neck. They pulled apart.

'Had to wake you up." He said with a smile. _He has a beautiful smile, once he lets his guard down. Mia is that way too. She is one mean chick, but once you get her to let her guard down, she is really fun to hang around with. Energetic, a short attention span and really smart, that's how she is with her guard down. Opposed to the mean, up tight, attentive military girl she turns into. She must really need to concentrate to be that way. She remembered Mia telling her that after a while, your mean self can be so normal to you, you don't even have to try anymore to use it and hide your nice side. Zuko is that way, but Mia always made sure that she had just enough fun in her life so she didn't become that way. _Katara thought as she pulled out some fruit for breakfast and watched the sun come up. Mia entered camp again, in a black vest and black skirt with tan tights. She took a deep breath.

"WAKE UP" she yelled. Some of the birds nearby fled from the trees and Katara saw a flower shaking. _Wow, she is really loud. _ Katara thought. Aang and Sokka shot up.

"What did you do that for?" Sokka groaned and flopped back down.

"It's time to train pupil Aang." She announced. Aang quickly got up.

" What's my first assignment?" he asked. Mia grabbed a leaf and sired it between her fingers.

"Set this on fire." She handed him the leaf

"It's already on fire." He told her

" I mean a big fire."

"Okay." He said He concentrated hard on the leaf for a few hours while Mia meditated. "Is it on fire yet?" he asked her.

"Does it look like it's on fire?"

'No."

"Than that's your answer. Zuko! I need a sparring partner." she called and stood up. She walked over to where he was meditating. He stood up.

"Fine," he grumbled and got in the position. He threw the first strike. Katara watched in awe. _How could two people who are so close, fight each other? _ She wondered. Mia and Zuko seemed to have no problem throwing punches at each other. She and Sokka didn't but that was when they were mad, but neither of them was mad. They finished when Mia flipped the fire prince to the ground and bent his arms in an odd fashion.

" Give?" she asked

"No." he said. She pulled his arms back farther. "Ow, okay I give!" he yelled. Mia gave a satisfied grin and let go of his arms. Zuko lay there, motionless. Mia turned to Aang, who was concentrating really hard on the leaf, but not even a spark. Mia saw this problem and walked up behind him. He was concentrating so hard on the leaf, he didn't notice. She walked p behind him and hit him on the back of his head really hard. The leaf flew from his hands.

"OW WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" he yelled at her. She smiled at him.

"Look." Was all she said.


	6. Sense of Direction

**What the hell, i'm updateing anyway. id update my other story, but this thing won't let me upload anything to the documents page thing. **

* * *

Fire that helps Chapter 6 

"At what?" he asked and turned around. The leaf was on fire.

"You were having trouble setting the leaf on fire because you have no rage" She explained to him. "I angered you, there for you set the leaf on fire. It should all be eaiser now. Fire comes from the breath. Pratcie shooting at that rock, like this." she took a deep breath and flicked her wrists slightly. A train of fire followed where hand was pointed and scorched the rock. "Do that 20 times." She told him. She sat down and leaned against a rock. Aang nodded and began to do as he was told.

* * *

A month later... 

"Can't believe I got stuck finding food with you." Sokka groaned. He had grown to a truce with Zuko, though he still didn't trust him. He had a feeling Zuko was doing something to Katara, or that everyone but him knew something about them. He still had that crush on Aang's firebending master, a prodigy. He wanted to hate her after all he found out that she was admiral Zhao little sister. He also knew that Zhao abused her and she ran away. He found out about the abuse by accident though

"_Mia? Why do none of you stupid firebenders have a sense of direction?" he yelled as he walked through the forest. He spotted her, by the river and ran up to the edge of the forest. His instincts told him to hide, so he did. He watched as Mia delicately pulled the metal lower arm bands off. He gasped at what he saw, a scar. Like Zuko's it was red and pint, but it was in the shape of hands on her wrists, and there were many handprints on just one arm. She looked up at his gasp. She had him pinned to the tree behind him in the blink of an eye._

"_What do you want Sokka? Why are you spying on me?" she barked._

" _Calm down, Zuko and Katara are missing and you were too. Aang told me to find you and get you to help find them, he couldn't go, and he accidentally hit Toph when they were fighting and she got hurt. How'd you get those scars?"_

" _My brother, when he got mad at me, this is what happened." She said quietly. "Let's get back to the others." She said and turned to leave._ He remembered that incident. He was slowly coming around to trust her. She had been with the group for a month now, and the comet was coming in only three months. Today was the summer soloist, the 3 month mark. Aang just need to finish mastering firebending. Then he could defeat that bastard fireloard that Zuko called a father, or used to call a father that is until Katara did something to him about a week ago. He didn't want to think about what she did, but he knew it had to be something dirty. He didn't say anything, she seemed happier than usual now.

"Well at least I can be trusted not to eat all the food I find. You need to be watched like a two year old near a cliff when you're around food!" Mia snapped at him, knocking him out of his trance.

"At least I eat!" he barked at her, it was true, she and Zuko ate like birds, almost never.

"At least I'm not fat!" She snapped back

"I'm not fat it's mussel!" He told her

"Prove it chubby." She stuck her tongue out at him. He pulled his shirt off.

"Dose this look like fat to you?" he asked pointing at his chest. He like how he was built, sparing and fighting with Zuko for the pat few months had really buffed him up, plus he grew. He looked like Zuko used too, but Zuko had grown too so he was still taller. He watched as Mia's eyes widened, but in terror. She gasped and shrunk back. Her breathing heaved and her eyes filled with tears "Mia?'" he asked kneeling down in front of her. "Mia, What's wrong?" She clenched her lower arms as tight as she could." Mia?" he said again, gentler, she looked at him in surprise. He was surprised, he didn't even try to have it come out that way. "Mia, what's wrong?" he asked again.

'My brother, when he burnt me, he usually looked like that, dark skin and without a shirt on. It brings back to many bad memories."

"I'll listen, if you'll talk." He said. She looked at him and told, the incident earlier that day, the fireflies, Zuko, sneaking home, him calling her a hoe and a whore and him burning her. He listened. When she was done, she looked at him, tears filling her big dark eyes. He grabbed her chin and pulled her head up, "It's okay, Zhao is dead, he can't hurt you anymore, and even if he wasn't dead, I wouldn't let him within a mile of you." He said.

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes." They looked into each others eyes. _She has amazing eyes so different. _He thought. He leaned forward and kissed her. Her arms that had been around her knees were around his neck and his arms were around her waist.

" One minute there're fighting, the next they're crying, the last they're making out. Teenagers are so weird." A little kid who had been spying on them said. The two broke apart, blushing a ferocious red.

"You little…" Sokka started

"Don't." Mia grabbed his arm and pulled him down. The kid ran off. "We better get some food and head back." He nodded and pulled her up to her feet with him and put his arm around her waist. "I don't need help walking Sokka." She said.

"I know." He said and tightened his grip on her waist. _I'm not letting this one get away, or die. _ He told himself. They quickly filled up a basket with various berries and nuts and headed back.

"What took you two so long?" Aang said turning around to face them when they got back to camp. His jaw dropped. Sokka had his arm around Mia's waist and her head was resting on his shoulder.

"Hey guys. What the…" Zuko came back to camp and dropped the kindling on his foot when he saw Mia and Sokka. He expected it, he knew it was coming, just not so soon. Katara just let her jaw drop, much like Aang.

"I thought that I smelled that someone was Horney." Toph announced. Katara looked at her.

"You can smell that?"

"Yeah that and I can smell when people have been at it too. These too just smell Horney though. Okay boomerang boy, prepare for Zuko to kill you." Toph said with a smile. It would be fun to watch boomerang boy get beat up. Zuko's eyes narrowed. Zuko was protective of Mia the way Sokka was with Katara, he thought of her as his little sister, they all knew that.

"Keep your hands off her." Zuko growled.

"I think that's her decision not yours." Sokka told him as he pulled Mia closer to him.

"Get your hands off her." Zuko snapped. Then he smiled, "Unless you want me all over Katara." Sokka's eyes widened.

"You keep your slimy hands off Katara." Sokka snapped. He let go of Mia. Mia sighed and walked over to Katara.

"Is it an act to piss Zuko off?" Katara asked her. The two girls watched as the boys argued.

"No, I actually like him." Mia told her.

"This is boring." Toph groaned, " I think I'll liven it up a little." She earthbent a rock at Sokka.

"Why'd you throw that?" Sokka yelled at Zuko.

'"What are you talking about?" Zuko yelled. Sokka lunged at him, the boys started fighting.

"Hey, break it up!" Mia yelled, the boys kept fighting. She walked up to them and twisted their ears, pulling them apart as she did. "You fuggers, I said stop!" she barked.

"Ow, ow, ow," Sokka said. She dropped them.

"Stupid boys." She mumbled. Zuko had a bloody nose, Sokka had two black eyes, and both boys had multiple cuts and bruises. Zuko had a lot on his back, Sokka had a lot on his face and arms.

"Come on, let's go heal you two up." Katara said standing up. She took the two boys down to the river. She healed Sokka first, he headed back to camp. About half-way back he realized he forgot his boomerang back there. He back turned to get it. He slipped on a rock and got stuck in a bush, with a mouth full of dirt and leaves. He couldn't spit them out, and he was stuck. He could see Katara and Zuko up ahead.

"Zuko, you need to control your temper." Katara told him. He shrugged. "Take your shirt off." He smiled at her and pulled it off. Sokka had done much damage to his chest with random stones and sticks. She healed him quickly, the cuts weren't that deep. She sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist.

"Katara, I think we should tell your brother." Zuko said.

"Why, so you can get killed? I'm not taking that chance Zuko." She told him.

"When do you plan on telling him?" he asked,

"I don't know, maybe when we've got 3 kids." She said. She leaned in and kissed him. One of Zuko's hands wandered up her back and to the back of her head, taking her braid out. Sokka was watching and his eyes widened. He wormed out of his position.

"You dirty firebender, get your hands off my little sister!" Sokka yelled running up to them. Zuko dropped Katara in surprise. Sokka tackled Zuko again.

"What the hell?" Zuko yelled, trying his hardest to keep Sokka at arms bay.

"Keep your slimy hands off my sister."

" That's her decision not yours." Zuko said with a smirk, repeating what Sokka had said earlier.

"That's different, Mia is my age. Katara is two years younger than you, you rapist."

"Sokka, incase you didn't notice I started it." Katara stated.

"How could you?" Sokka yelled at her. He dropped Zuko and ran up to her. "How could you? He's is the prince of the fire nation, the same people that killed our mother."

"Sokka, he, he with drew himself from that." Katara stammered. He big blue eyes filled up with tears.

"Katara, are you okay?" Zuko asked. He stood up and walked over to them. Sokka spun to hit Zuko again, but Zuko caught the boys wrist and twisted his arm. "I'd never touch your sister without her permission, nor would I ever hurt her." He told him. Katara turned and ran, crying. "Look what you did!'" Zuko yelled at Sokka, dropping him. Zuko ran over and grabbed his shirt, then ran after Katara. Sokka spotted his boomerang, grabbed it and ran after them.

Katara burst into camp crying. "Katara, what's wrong?" Mia asked, looking up. Toph and Aang had gone off to get in a little practice.

"Sokka, he found out." She sobbed, collapsing next to Mia on the log.

"Oh honey, Shh" she gently stroked Katara's hair. "Don't worry, Sokka will get used to it."

"Katara?" Zuko said bursting into camp. Sokka came running in behind him and knocked him over. Mia stood up.

"I think you three need to talk. I'm going to go drill Aang with Toph. I'll be back in 20 minutes." Mia said and left. Katara looked at the boys with a tear stained face. The boys stood up and sat in front of her. They sat there for five minutes in complete silence. Katara broke it.

"Sokka, I really lo…ike Zuko, a lot." Katara stammered. Zuko looked at her, he caught what she almost said.

"How long?" Sokka asked her.

"What?" Katara asked

"How long have you been seeing each other?" he repeated

"Two months." Zuko said.

"Zuko, how much do you like my sister?"

"A lot."

"Would you give your life for her?"

"Yes." He said without hesitation, he looked Them strait in the face when he answered.

"Then there is nothing I can do." Sokka said simply. Katara broke into a smile.

"Just some ground rules, you two sleep with me or Appa between you." Sokka said.

"Okay, then you have to sleep with me or Appa between you and Mia." Zuko said.

"Deal" Sokka said. Zuko stuck his hand out for Sokka to shake. They shook on it.

"Let's go meet up with the others." Katara said. She walked up to Zuko, who put his arm around her waist.

"Okay." Zuko said, he smiled down at her.

"Oh and keep it PG." Sokka added. Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Fine, its not like I would try anything." Zuko told him

"I highly doubt that." Sokka said, they walked to the clearing where Mia, Aang and Toph were pratcing.

"Hey guys? Whats up?" Mia called to them. "Move to the left!" she yelled at Aang. "Okay, now remember, breath, kick, breath, punch land." she yelled to Aang. Aang nodded. He spun into the air and preformed the trick. "Okay, now try it with fire!" he nodded again and preformed the same thing again, expect this time, he used fire. He looked over and saw Zuko with his arm around Katara, and Katara with her head on his shoulder. He waited for the pain, but it didn't come he felt like, like he had gotten over his crush on her. He kind of liked Toph now. "Okay, that passed the good enough rule. You look tired, lets go back and get something to eat." Mia came up behind him and said. He spun around.

"Okay" he said.

"Hey." Sokka said coming up behind them. He put his arm around Mia's waist and led her away. "Hey Aang, I'm stealing your teacher for a while. I need to pass this class that I'm failing." Mia laughed and put her head on his shoulder.

"It's about time! I've been trying to ignore your midnight meets, finally some PDA. Can you stop waking me up now?" Toph asked Zuko and Katara.

"You knew?" Katara asked her.

"Yeah." she turned and left.

* * *

"Oh shit, get away from me you bastard... Sokka help... hey, why can't I set you on fire... what the fuck did you do to my bending... hey, you no touchy..."Mia? Hey hands off my woman... Ow... Ouf." Zuko and Katara heard Mia and Sokka yell. They ran in the direction where they heard them coming from. They found marks from a fight and a scroll. Aang picked it up and read it. 

_Avatar_

_I have captured your firebending master and the boy you travel with. They're lives are at stake. Turn your self into the fire nation or I will kill them._

_Admiral Choy_

"Mia's brother." Zuko said

"I thought Zhao was her brother." Katara looked at him

"She has six older brothers. The oldest two had the other 4 scarred out of their wits. Zhao and Choy, twins, complete opposites. Then came Solzu, her third oldest brother, and then Naro, Kimigi, and Gigo, the triplets. The triplets work in the Navy's ship building place thing and Zhao, Choy and Solzu are all Admirals in my fathers army." Zuko said quietly.

* * *

Mia was thrown into a cell, she landed on top of Sokka. Her hands were bound and she was gagged. She sat up. She undid her bounds just enough so that she could reach up and pull off her gag. She noticed that Sokka did the same. 

"He didn't touch you did they?" he asked. _That's the last time I don't duck when she says duck _he thought. _ I seriously thought it was a real duck, and I was hungry._

"No, he didn't. He tried though, until he saw you." She leaned her head on his shoulder. She was sitting on his lap, he was leaning against the wall. The cell door opened. It was a different man from the one that had captured them.

"My, My look at this. My little sister gets dragged in here. And apparently she's joined the avatar's gang. How nice. You will work as nice bait. you and This water tribe filth" He let go of her chin and released their bounds so they could move freely. He then slammed the door as he left. They fell asleep.

* * *

Sokka woke to find a tossing and turning Mia in her sleep. She was crying too. He looked down, it took a lot to wake him up. He pulled her closer, "Shh," he said to her. Her eyes tightened and the room went up in flames. "Mia, Wake up!" he said. Her eyes snapped open. She was breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" he asked her. She shook her head no and continued to cry on his chest. "Shh, tell my what's wrong." 

"It's me remembering what Zhao did to Me." was all she said she forced herself to stop crying and look at him. "But I'm fine now, go back to sleep."

"Mia, its okay to cry." he pushed a strand of her hair behind he ear and looked into her eyes. They were like dark water, deep. She looked back and they leaned in and kissed. He slid his hands down the side of her back, tracing over her stomach and pulling he closer to him. She pulled her arms up and around his neck. They released for air and she put her head on his chest.

"Go to sleep. I highly doubt what my brother has in store is nice." She said. They fell asleep.

* * *

Choy slammed his door and rubbed his temples. _He wasn't jealous of his little sister like his twin, Zhao, was. Mia was supposed to be a prodigy, and good at everything she did. Zhao had always been jealous of her. He had blinded her, hoping to make her weak, and convinced her it was her fault. But she didn't become weak, but stronger. She trained anyway, when she thought no one was looking. When she miraculously regained her ability to see, Zhao took to burning the poor girl, hoping to scare her to death. Instead she ran away. I had always loved my little sister and been over protective of her, but Zhao was the older twin by a few minutes and he was bigger and stronger that me. I had to do what Zhao said. But Zhao is dead now, what is stopping me from being nice to my little sister now? Nothing. _His mind raced. He decided to talk to her tomorrow and ask for her forgiveness. _Maybe then I can get some sleep, instead of her haunting me in my dreams asking why, why didn't you try to stop him from hurting me? She likes that water tribe boy, the one that travels with the avatar. He doesn't look like he trusts or likes the Fire Nation that much, but who could blame him? The Fire Nation has done terrible things to the Water Nations. Mia is old enough to make her own decisions, I won't interfere.

* * *

_

Choy woke the next morning determined to talk to his little sister. He went to her cell and opened to door. She was asleep, and in the arms of that water boy. He closed the cell door and walked out. She would wake up soon, sunrise was approaching. He went and got some breakfast before going back to the cell. This time when he opened the door the two jumped awake. "Have a nice rest little sis?" he asked. She scolded at him. "Come on, I need to talk to you." He said. He grabbed her wrists and dragged her out of the room and into his interrogation room. He put her in a chair, in which she surprisingly sat in, and pulled a chair up for him. He sat down, facing her. "Mia," he began. "You know I've always cared for you, right?" he asked her, she looked at the ground. "Zhao only hurt you out of jealously, I would never hurt you. I wasn't jealous, I was proud. It wasn't your fault you were blinded." She looked at him puzzled.

"Yes it was, I backfired." She said.

"Actually, your shot hit its target, Zhao couldn't stand that you were only 5 and almost better than him so he sent another shot that hit you in the face and blinded you."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Mia, you have to understand the authority that Zhao held over me. He was stronger, a better bender, bigger and older by two minutes, I had to do what he said, but I was the one to rake you to the infirmary while you were unconscious, then back before you could wake up." He said, Mia looked at her feet.

"So, you don't hate me?" she asked.

"Mia honey, I never did." He said. He pushed a strand of her hair out of her face. "When you ran away, I was very ad that you left without saying goodbye, but happy that you ran away and got away form Zhao's abuse. I was upset, I would never know if you were dead or alive. Yet glad that you got away."

"That's not the main reason I ran away Choy, I ran because I thought all 6 of you hated me and thought I was annoying. When Prince Zuko got banished, he was the only friend I had left, so I left too. In my mind there was nothing left for me there." She told him.

"I should have done something to stop him, not just stood aside and let him hurt you as much as he did."

"Choy, you did the best you could, thank you by the way for not telling him I kept bending even though I was blind. Yeah, I saw you watching me, but I continued because you thought you were so sneaky. I was surprised when you didn't tell him, but very happy because it meant that you cared a little." She admitted. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He said.

"Well, why are you pursuing this quest for the avatar? Its wrong, the avatar is the one who can save the world. And let me tell you, he's got me out matched."

"What"

"I've been training the avatar in firebending." His eyes lit up. Then they fell again.

"Mia, that's a direct violation to the fire lord."

"I know, but who else was going too? Zuko couldn't, he wasn't skilled enough and Joeng-Joeng disappeared. I am basically the only master left that isn't still loyal to the fire lord."

"What happened to General Iroh?"

"He died."

"I'm proud of you Mia, I always was, but I have to bring the fire lord the avatar or I will be executed. He says I have to finish what my brother started. I have to be loyal to Princess Azula and do as she says."

"Where is she anyway?"

"She Mai and Ty Lee want out on a private quest for the avatar. She told me if I get there first capture him and don't lose him or she'll have me executed."

"Oh." She looked at her feet. "Do you…"

"Do I what?"

"Do you approve of Sokka?"

" Who's Sokka?"

"The water boy."

"Why?"

"Because I really like him."

"I noticed this morning when I saw you two cuddling in your sleep."

" Well do you approve?"

"Why should it matter? You'll go off with him even if I don't."

'"It always matter what you guys thought. I did my best to please you but I never got anything in return. All I wanted was approval, and now that Zhao's dead and so is Father it is you who has to give approval."

"Do you really like him?"

"Yes."

"Than I approve, Mia I think your smart enough to make your own decisions, I always have."

"Thank you Choy." She said. He stood up and walked over to her.

"Mia, do you forgive me?"

"Yes."

"Good." He said, "Come on, you need to get back to your cell. Princess Azula will have my head if I gave you a room so you'll have to make due."

"Okay." She said. She stood up and went back to her cell, Choy following her close. He opened the cell and she went in. He closed the door and locked it behind her. Sokka looked up.

"Mia, are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No, he apologized."

"For what?"

"My child hood."

Aang Toph Zuko and Katara hurried out of there and toward the ship. It was a normal battle ship, nothing special. They bombarded the ship.

"Well, Well, looks like the avatar has fallen into my trap."


	7. Hate it when i mention it?

**I am on a roll here! Boo Yah! and i got to skip practcie this morning! I am a happy person! can't spell for my life, but still happy! Everyone throw something at someone, 4 of july weekend is next weekend! I think i'll throw some fun dip at Kelley...

* * *

**

Fire that helps Chapter 7 

They turned around. Azula was behind them, with Mai and Ty Lee. "You've fallen for the bait once again. I thought you were smarter than that." She shot an attack at Aang. He dodged it and threw a fireball at her. "I see you've begun to learn firebending. Who taught you? I highly doubt that Zuko could even think of making a fireball that big." Zuko threw a fireball at her. Mai and Ty Lee joined in the fight.

Sokka and Mia heard something ram into the side of the ship, and a loud groan.

"Appa." They both said. Mia blew the door off and ran up the steps with Sokka close in tow. They burst on to scene, seeing Toph and Katara fighting Mia and Ty Lee and Zuko and Aang fighting Azula. Sokka ran to help his sister. Mia threw a lighting bolt at Azula. Everyone stopped.

"Well, Well, the run away girl shows her face again. Stop bending, you're a failure to fire bending prodigies every where."

"Shut-Up Azula and fight. Or have you realized you're beaten. Just like that day in school." Azula's eyes narrowed. She tossed a lighting bolt at Mia. She dodged it.

"Shut-up."

"What Azula? Hate it when I mention that I beat you? When I was tiered and blind none the less?"

"SHUT-UP" She yelled and lunged at her. Mia flipped her over her arm and into the water. She turned and ran off the pier, the others following her. They ran util they go to Appa. Once they got on, Aang yelled 'Yip-Yip' and they were off.

Choy made his way up the stairs, he heard a commotion up there. He found a very wet, very pissed off Princess Azula.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Your stupid little sister that's what happened. No matter, she's like my brother and she will fall. Prepare to follow the bison, he is headed east I believe."

"Yes Princess." He said and bowed as he left.

* * *

"We need to start formulating a plan to defeat the fire lord and the comet." Zuko said as they pulled away. Everyone nodded. "Any ideas? We cant just take it by storm, its 6 on the entire Fire Navy." He said.

"Sneak Attack." Mia said, sitting up. "Katara, Toph and I can get in easily, we can fake catacombs, you boys can fake guards. I can get some dresses for us and we can jump some soldiers for their uniforms. Once in, we need to plan further. I can find out the catacomb time once we land, and from there we can formulate an attack on them from the inside out." Mia said.

"I don't want my little sister pretending to be a catacomb!" Sokka yelped. Mia shrugged.

"Then how about we have Zuko fake 'capture' you guys and I fake as a guard, then we attack before he can decide what to do with you." Mia suggested.

"Are you kidding? They are looking for me to throw me in jail, I won't make it 3 meters into the fire nation!" Zuko groaned.

"I don't see any of you coming up with plans."

"What if we use that plan, but you capture all of us instead." Toph suggested. "They think your dead, right?"

"Yeah, that might work." Mia said

"I say we vote on it." Sokka said.

"Fine" Everyone said.

"Okay, Mia's catacomb plan." No one raised their hands. "Okay, Mia's capture plan." Mia, Zuko, Toph, Aang and Katara raised their hands. "Okay I thinks it's that one."

"Okay, lets put it into action." Aang said "What do we need to do."

"Okay, we need Bunki rope. It looks strong, but breaks with a few tugs. That way you guys can be released easily. We'll need to land in the Fire Nation."

"Lets do it." Katara said.

* * *

They all sat around a fire. Two months, that's all we had. Zuko drew out a map of the palace from memory in the dirt. We disused techniques. "If we attack when I am in there we stand a lesser chance. I say that we wait until I leave, then attack. I can take care of the guards who come running then." Mia announced. Everyone nodded. "Until then, we sharpen our skills. We need to find a rotate matter, a schedule to move by. We should train endlessly for a week before even think of setting foot on fire nation grounds. Aang, teach someone else to fly Appa. This way we can rotate and you can get some sleep, just not Mr. Pain-in-the-ass-to-wake-up _cough _Sokka _cough._"

"Hey!"

"Then we need to train. Katara, you're going to have to make sure everyone brings a canteen of water for you to use. Sokka, go train with Zuko. I'll train with Aang and Toph. Toph, the palace is all metal, you're going to have to bend rocks from your pouch. I'll work with Aang." Mia instructed. She had an arthritic ring to her voice. Sokka nodded and left with Zuko. He still felt utter hatred for the prince, but he had learned to respect him as well. He saw that he really cared for his sister. He saw this the time that she had almost fallen off of Appa, he had caught her and pulled her back. He saw that he cared for Mia, but in a different way. The same way he cared for Katara, in the loving older brother way.

"Sokka, can I ask you something?" Zuko broke the silence that they had been walking in.

"What?"

"What's your fathers name?"

"Kinko, why?"

"Just wondering."

"What ever." Sokka rolled his eyes and raised his hands to fight. Why had he w_anted my fathers name? The only thing he'd ever need my father for would be permission to marry Katara. Oh god I hope I'm wrong.

* * *

_

They trained vigorously for the week. Aang taught Mia to steer Appa. They had gotten the Bunki rope and practiced over and over how their plan would go. They had to leave this morning. Mia appeared in her usual outfit, a black top that showed her stomach and black leggings with a black skirt, but the top that she had on was different, the straps were thinner. They all climbed up on Appa. Mia insisted that everyone rest on our trip there, eating at dusk, rising at sunrise. In between we were stuck on Appa with not much to do. Mia and Sokka were both two people who were not shy, they spent the time cuddling. Zuko was glaring at Sokka, shooting him the 'don't even think about it' look. I tried to occupy him, putting my arms around him, telling him to chill out. He responded by putting his arms around me. We all knew better than to start making out in front of everyone. It happened like this everyday, we flew for 4 days strait. We landed in the fire nation then, in the trees. We spent a day training and reviewing the plan, then the time had come to strike.

Mia tied our hands together with the Bunki rope. She pushed us forward and into a cart. She dragged the cart behind her with all of us in it. She got past the palace guards easily, after all she had captured both the Avatar and the banished prince. On her way there, she got stopped many times by boys asking her to court them. She politely turned them down. I was surprised Sokka didn't say anything. He had matured from a whining teenager who's voice cracked to a pretty strong warrior. We entered the fire lords big palace room thing. All of us were thrust to one knee behind Mia.

"What business do you have here Miss?" the fire lord began

"My lord, I have captured the avatar and banished prince Zuko. I have come to deliver them to you, that is what all the wanted posters say to do." Mia said. He voice was calm and clear.

"Stand." The fire lord commanded. Mia stood. "You shall go to collect your reward in the southern wing, guards lead her there. I shall take care of the prisoners." Everything was going as planned. Mia was lead away. "I suppose these are your masters? What may I ask is my son doing among them? After all, he will never be able to master fire, he is weak and insignificant." Aang said nothing in response. He only whistled. High, low, High, high, low, high, high, high, high, low. This is when we attacked. I could hear Mia outside, beating up the guards and keeping them at bay, leaving the 5 of us against the fire lord. The rope broke easily. Aang swung first, a large barrel of air was throw at the fire lord. He laughed and dodged it. He threw a fire ball, it was huge, at us. We all spread into different directions. Toph and I stuck together, we both had limited power here. Zuko kicked up fire at his old man.

"Agni Kai, now." Zuko said coldly to his father. His father nodded.

"This time I shall show no mercy, I will enjoy watching your weak self die." His father told him The men went into the Agni Kai area and readied themselves for a fight. I followed. Aang, Sokka and Toph were fighting off the guards. They both stood, ready to fight. Oazi threw the first punch, Zuko dodged. Mia had forced this skill upon him, tire out the enemy before you strike. They went on this way for 5 minutes, it seemed like hours, before Zuko struck. He knocked his father down easily. He placed a foot on his fathers chest.

"Surrender the crown now, I have beaten you father."

"I'll never surrender the crown to you. A weakling dose not deserve the thrown."

"This weakling just beat you. You've called too much pain on too many to be sparred." Zuko said simply, he released the flame in his hand, setting his father on fire. "You don't deserve to live." And with that, Zuko made the flame bigger, burning his father to death in front of his own eyes, just as the guards busted in, Mia, Sokka, Toph and Aang in front of them attempting to beat them back. They were easily out numbered, 50 to 1. All the guards stopped when they saw what was happening. "The fire lord is dead, I am the rightful heir. I take the throne." Zuko said.

"Not unless I kill you first." Princess Azula said, coming out of nowhere. She threw a lighting bolt at Zuko, he dodged. She lunged at him with a knife that had been attached to her ankle. He reversed the power of the knife and killed her. Mia stepped up onto the arena and pulled the crown from the fire lords ashes. The smell of burning flesh still haunted the arena. A man stepped forward and took it from her.

"The crowning shall take place now. Prince Zuko, you have defeated your father in Agni Kai, there for lifting your banishment. Your father has died in the making, and you were the one to kill him this makes you the new fire lord." He said and placed the crown on Zuko's head. He was now the fire lord. I smiled. "Another official ceremony will be held once you have collected yourself after your fathers funeral." The man said and patted Zuko's back. The man was about 6 ½ feet tall and old, very old. All the guards and Mia bowed in respect. She motioned for us to bow, so I did. "Fire Lord Zuko, what will your first act as Fire Lord be?"

"I declare this war over, retreat all troops now." He said.

* * *

I walked through the market, I knew I wasn't supposed to leave the palace gates but I didn't care. It had been a week since Zuko had defeated his father. The comet had passed. He was planning to hold his father's funeral tomorrow, this meant his official crowning would take place then too. Mia had disappeared, again. I had spent much time comforting Sokka over it. Zuko helped too, with the comforting. He told him she disappears a lot and that she will reappear soon. She came back last night, only for a short visit to me. She asked me to tell Sokka not to worry, she had some things to straiten out. She had a 'prior commit' is what she told me to tell him. I had told Sokka this morning and left him to let it sink in. That's not all that changed though. Zuko had asked the Kings, Nobles and Chief men of all the nations, principalities and tribes to come to the crowning/funeral. We had made a treaty to go between the nations to keep balance. Aang still had his job, attending meetings and such to act as a middle man, deciding the outcome and settling arguments. I pulled my cloak over my face to hide my eyes like Mia taught me to do. I was the main form of gossip in the market place.

"I heard that she's from the southern water tribe, and she's a pheasant."

"I heard that she's the chief of that tribes daughter, that makes her royalty, sort of."

"Why couldn't that be me?"

"Why couldn't that be me?"

"God, he's so hot."

"Speak for yourself, she's so sexy."

"Have you seen her best friend?"

"No, why?"

"They are like exact copies of each other, except one has deep brown eyes and bright brown hair. And she's a lot more, not shy."

"I think she's seeing that water tribe boy."

"He's not even a bender."

"What could she see in him?"

"Have you even seen him?"

"Well no, but still." I shook my head. People are such gossips. I'd heard rumors that my father was here, and that Aang was married to a flying lemur. I turned and walked back to the palace, it was after dark. Zuko was going to be mad, he said that the rebels would be after us and kill us if we left the gates. Sure enough someone pushed me into a wall. I couldn't see their faces, it was too dark out.

"Well, Well look at this, the fire lords girlfriend. Think we can use her to get to him?"

"Defiantly, but first." Who ever it was slit my wrists. I cried out in pain. There was almost no moon and no water, I was power less. I spotted something in the distance, a red mask. A figure appeared behind the two figures. They spun. "What does the Angel of fire want?" one of them demanded. The masked figure pointed to me.

"Too bad she's ours." The figure in the mask shrugged and turned, only to spin back around just as fast and knock on of the other figures out with a lighting bolt. The other one swung his sword at her, but was too slow. She dodged it and knocked him out. She grabbed my wrists and dragged me out of there, and up to the tops of the buildings. I tried to fight back, it didn't work. This masked person had a strong grip. They brought me inside the palace gates.

"I don't understand." I said, the masked person put their finger to my lips. And leaned in next to my ear.

"Always remember the fire that helps." She whispered in my ear and disappeared. The guards and Zuko appeared not 5 seconds later.

"Katara, where did you go?" Zuko asked me.

"I was in the garden." It was a lie, Zuko could tell, but he shrugged it off. "Let's go, I'm tiered." I nodded, and we walked to our room. I changed and climbed into the bed. Zuko joined me shortly after.

"So, are you going to tell me where you really were?" he asked me, he was propped up on one elbow looking at me.

"I went to the market, some rebels tried to capture me, but someone they called the angel of fire saved me, she told me never to forget fire that helps." I told him and braced myself for a tongue lashing. Instead he laughed.

"I swear, you and Mia are so alike it's scary. She said the exact same thing that time when we were 10. But I believe you, I've heard rumors that the angel of fire has returned." He ran his finger along my jaw line. I cuddled closer to him, inhaling his sent. He smelled like ashes along with another sent I could never name, but I like it. The two mixed well. I wondered what this angel was. _Don't ask, Don't ask, and don't ask…_

"Zuko, who's the angel of fire?" _Ah shit,_ My curiosity got the best of me.

"The angel of fire is said to be a fire nation resident, that travels the globe and helps people. The angel has been around for 100 years, and the mask and training outfit is passed to the chosen girl. The angel disappeared for a short period of time a while ago. She apparently has returned. It is said, that she has started a league of angles who she trains in the earth kingdom who call themselves the angels of earth, but there is only one angel of fire." He told me.

* * *

Katara awoke the next morning while Zuko was getting dressed. She got up and grabbed the new dress that she was to wear for the ceremony, all white. She put it on and looked at Zuko, his robes were white as well. They had gone over the schedule many times. Breakfast, funeral/crowning, lunch, the big meeting. The funeral/crowning was short.

"Here lies the ashes of Fire Lord Ozai, father of Princess Azula, now past, Prince Zuko, brother of General Iroh, now past, Son of fire lord Azulon, now past. May he rest in peace. Prince Zuko, please step forward. I now pronounce you Fire Lord Zuko. All hail Fire Lord Zuko." Everyone bowed. Katara looked at Zuko with a proud smile, but he looked disappointed. He stood and went to change, and Katara followed to changed into her normal gown. Her gown was a long blue gown that matched her eyes. Her hair was still down when Zuko came up behind her and slipped his hands around he waist.

"Damn." He whispered in her ear. Katara smiled and leaned back into his arms. They both knew that Zuko had to go to some meetings about the treaty they designed, but they had a few minutes.

"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothing is wrong, I have my throne back and my sexy waterbender. I'm fine."

"Then why did you look disappointed at the ceremony?"

"I wasn't disappointed." He insisted. She rolled her eyes.

"I didn't see Mia."

"Yeah I know."

"That's it."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is, Zuko she is basically all you have left, you said she's like family." Zuko gave a defeated huff, Katara knew she was right.

"I Gotta go, treaty meeting. No leaving the gates again or I'll assign you a personal guard." He told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled as he left.

"I think I'll go find Sokka." She said aloud and left the room, she prayed she wouldn't get lost again. The palace was so big! She had gotten lost quite a few times before, but thankfully guards were everywhere. She just had to ask one of them to point her toward wherever she was going and they would direct her where to go. She knocked on the door to his room. "Sokka?" She asked, he opened the door.

"Hey." He said

"Are you okay?"

"I can't believe she left."

"Sokka, Zuko said she does this allot, she'll should show up soon."

"I guess, I think I wanna move into town. It's boring here."

"Do as you want brother of mine. Wanna go for a walk?"

"That bored? Sure I will." Sokka mocked her. She smiled. _No matter what happens Sokka will always be Sokka. _He closed the door behind himself as he left. He seemed depressed still. No matter what she did, she couldn't cheer him up. They walked into the garden.   
"Sokka,"

"Katara, don't even try it. So far I've lost two girls in a _row. I'm not cheering up."_ Katara sighed. She picked up a rock and tossed it across the turtle-duck pond.

"Ya know what I always wondered?" Katara said. Sokka picked up another rock.

"What?" he asked giving it a strong toss, sending it flying

"Why Mia could always find where things were, like Toph, even though she was blind and not an earth bender." Katara said, throwing another rock across the pond.

"I asked her once. She didn't even know." Sokka said, skipping a rock across the pond. Katara pulled some bread out and fed some of the ducks. She and Sokka spent the day doing this. Soon it was close to sunset, dinner was in two hours. "I'm going to train, I haven't trained all day." Sokka said standing up. Katara nodded, she needed to think.

"See you at dinner."

Zuko came outside, he finished early and he wanted to spend some time with Katara. The guards told him that she was in the garden. He saw Sokka get up and leave. He walked up behind her, she was sitting on a bench next to the duck pond. He took a seat next to her on the bench and put his arm around her shoulders. "Hey." He said, she looked over at him and smiled. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Hey." She said. He kissed her forehead. "Did you finish early?"

"Yeah, the meetings went surprisingly fast. You wouldn't believe how many nobles are in favor of this treaty. I got almost all of the ones from the fire nation to sign today. Only a few remain to be convinced. I'll do that tomorrow."

"I missed you, Sokka's too depressing to be around lately."

"He's lost two girls that he liked a lot, in a row and within a year of each other Katara, he is going to be depressed. I'm, surprised he hasn't tried to kill himself yet."

"Zuko!" She said spinning around to look at him.

"Katara, I was joking. Your brother is strong than most men, most men would attempt suicide after the loss of one woman they like a lot, your brother has lost two, and not even a year apart."

"Don't scare me like that he's all I have left of my family."

"Okay, come on, you wouldn't want to be late to dinner." He stood, taking her with him. They went to dinner.

* * *

2 years later,

Katara was about to turn 16, the marrying age of her tribe. Zuko was 18 and a great fire lord. That treaty he had made, all of the nobles and such of the world have signed it. He is having a ceremony to celebrate it a week after her birthday. She was worried about Sokka, he had gotten more and more depressed by the day. He was 17 now and he hadn't dated at all since Mia left. He convinced himself that he was a death magnet. That image of that sprit that helped her was burned into her head, and she was hearing more and more about it. That red mask was hard to miss. She sighed and leaned back onto the bed, Zuko was had some last minute details to attend to after dinner. He promised he would take the least amount of time he could. She was in her night cloths, a short blue nightdress that fit her perfectly. She remembered the first time Zuko saw her in it, his eyes widened. She usually didn't wear things as short as that gown, but it was the plainest by far so she chose it. Katara closed her eyes. She heard Zuko come into the room, so she pretended she was asleep. She heard him change and climb into bed. He pocked her. "Hey, no falling asleep until I get my good night kiss." He whispered to her. Katara snickered and rolled over to face him.

"Hey, how'd the meeting go?" she asked him.

"Good." He said. She leaned up and kissed him.

"My birthday's tomorrow." She reminded him.

"I know you'll love your present."

"Oh really, how do you know this?"

"Because I asked Sokka and Aang."

"Aang's here?"  
"For the party next week about the treaty, and your birthday."

"I haven't seen him in two years."

"That's a long time not to see someone, what about that girl, Toph, remember her?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, those two are kind of going out, he told me himself. He was asking for relationship advice, he said he wasn't about to ask Sokka."

"No one tells me anything." Katara scolded and rolled over. Zuko moved closer to her and put his arm around her waist.

"I tell you I love you" he whispered in her ear. She smiled.

"I love you too." She said, they laid there in silence. Zuko fell asleep soon. Katara rolled over to face his chest and leaned her head against it. He was so warm and he always smelled good, even after he had been training. She sighed and fell asleep.

* * *

I woke before Zuko the next morning. It was close to sunrise, but not quite sunrise yet. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "Happy birthday." He told me and kissed me. I smiled.

"Morning." I said to him. I cuddled my head into his chest.

"Go back to sleep." He said into my hair.

"I'm up now, I can't go to sleep." I told him and looked up at him.

"Well than we've got an extra hour to kill before breakfast." He told me I blushed. "What should we do?"

"I think that we should do this." I told him and leaned up and kissed him. He ran his hands up the sides of my body. We mad out for another ten minutes, being careful not to go past making out. We didn't want to do it until we got married, I remembered when we had the talk. It had been so embarrassing.

* * *

"_Zuko, we need to talk." I said, it was late at night, a few days after we had gotten Sokka's approval. It was time to have 'the talk' with him. I took his hand and led him into the woods, away from Aang and Toph._

"_What do we need to talk about?"_

"_We need to have 'the talk' Zuko. This relationship is getting serious. We need to decide and map out what we do and don't want to do and when." Zuko palled a bit at my words. _

"_Go on, you go first."_

"_I don't want to, ya know until I'm married." He nodded his head._

"_I understand." He said. We continued on like that for another hour.

* * *

_

"Hey." Zuko poked me. "Where'd you go?"

"Just thinking." I told him.

"We better get ready." Zuko got up, I sighed. Zuko got up and pulled on his robes. I pulled on my own robes, my back to him. He came up behind me and pulled my braid out.

"Zuko." I said.

"I want to try." He said and tried to pull my hair back the way it had been. "There." He said, I looked at my hair. It was surprisingly close to how my hair had looked before.

"Close." I said undoing the braid he had done and redoing it. He kissed my cheek and we went to breakfast. Sokka was there, he was moving out tomorrow. He gave me a hug when he saw me.

"Happy birthday." He handed me a small package, it had a hair brush in it. "I made it myself." Sokka told me, I smiled and gave him a hug.

"Katara!" Aang came in the room and ran up to me, giving me a hug. Toph followed close behind. "Happy birthday." He handed me a package with a mirror in it to match the brush. "I made one to match Sokka's brush, then you'd have a matching set." Aang piped cheerfully. "It's from Toph and Me."

"Thanks." I said and gave everyone else a round of hugs. The people came in to serve us breakfast so we need to sit. Once we were done, Zuko covered my eyes and led me down the hall. Aang, Sokka and Toph followed. "Zuko, where are we going?" I asked him

"You'll see." He told me and brought me into a room. "Close your eyes." I closed them. He lifted his hands and walked out from behind me, "Stay there and no peaking." He told me. I heard him open a door and hustle someone in. He returned to my side. "Open your eyes." I gasped when I saw who it was standing before me.

* * *

**i skipped at lot of time between point a and point b on this one. i promise that once chapter nine is hit i won't be time jumping anymore.**  



	8. I wish Mia would come back

**ofically end of my roll. i got reviews! i am happy! it was the only thing keeping me from strangleing someone this moring as i was tired and i was wet and i was cold and i counld breath (damn you fly)w/e i better finish chap9, but i supposed to go to the movies tomorrow. hehe. then i got a swim meet, even better.

* * *

** Fire that helps Chapter 8

"Dad." Katara gasped and ran to hug her father.

"Katara," he said, stroking her hair.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for you. I was a prisoner of war. The Fire Lord went through to these people and had me released. You've made a fine choice Katara."

"What are you talking about dad?" Katara looked up at her father, confused

"Katara, Zuko has asked my permission to marry you." Her father told her. Zuko pulled out an engagement necklace; one in the middle was red and blue mixed. It had both the water and fire symbols on it. He offered it to her.

"Katara, will you marry me?" he asked her.

"Yes." She said and removed her mothers necklace and retired it to her pocket, Zuko took the necklace and attached it around her neck and kissed her forehead. She smiled at him "We'll continue this later." She whispered in his ear. He smiled and pulled back.

"I'm sorry, but I must leave, I have a meeting I must attend to. I'll see you at the ceremony" Zuko said and turned to leave. Zuko left.

"Come on dad, let's get some lunch." She told her father.

"I must admit Katara, you have picked a fine young man. One of the most powerful men in the world, polite and a great fighter. He actually came to me in person to ask your hand in marriage. I was surprised, but Sokka backed him up with the fact that the two of you had been courting for 2 years. I didn't think that Sokka could actually like someone that liked you. He was always so overprotective."

"He's just sucking up to Zuko so that if Mia returns he can ask the same and Zuko won't have any ammo against him to say no."

"Who's Mia?"

"This girl, she and Zuko grew up together. They were each others comfort from the drama at home. He thinks of her like a little sister, and she thinks of him like a big brother."

"Do I get to meet her?" Katara shook her head

"She disappeared, had some unfinished business to attend to."

"Oh." Her dad said they entered the dining room and ate in silence. They walked out to the garden. "Guess who I saw?"

"Who?"

"Master Pakku, he said that you mastered water bending."

"When did you see him?"

"When I was captured, we were placed in the same holding cell."

"How did you escape?"

"The angel of fire rescued us."

"Oh."

"When do you plan to have your wedding? I plan on bringing Gran-Gran up."

"That's great! Maybe around Summer Solstice, Dad, I have to go and get ready."

"That's fine, I'll see you later." Her dad told her. She quickly made her way across the garden to her room. She changed into her blue gown that had a gold trim and decided that it matched her eyes. She twirled around and looked in the mirror, pleased with what she saw. This dress clung in all the right places. She heard the door open and turned around.

"Hey." She told Zuko, he went over to the drawers and pulled out his shirt for tonight. He pulled off his shirt and Tugged on the new one.

"Hey." He turned to take at her, she watched in amusement as his eyes widened. "You are _not _wearing that." He told her, she pouted.

"Why not?"

"Because, you are engaged to me, I don't want any other guys getting any ideas."

"Oh? You don't want to show me off to them?"

"Good point." He said and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Care to continue what we started earlier?" She reached up and kissed him on the lips.

"We're gonna be late." She whispered to him. He sighed and withdrew one arm from around her waist. He guided her out into the hall and into the grand ballroom. Lots of people were already there, dancing. The earth kingdom lord came up to them first. They bowed in respect toward each other.

"Fire Lord Zuko and Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, I am glad to hear that the treaty has been signed. I also hear that it is Lady Katara's birthday. Happy birthday." He said.

"Thank you for your attendance, and yes it is her birthday." Zuko told the earth lord. They bowed again to each other and parted. Zuko lead Katara to the table to eat. He seated her and stood. All the people quickly seated themselves. "I would like to thank you all for coming, as you know this ceremony is to celebrate the treaty between the nations being signed and completed. There are also two other reasons to be celebrating. Today is Lady Katara's 16th birthday, and I have asked her for her hand in marriage, and she has accepted." He paused and waited for the clapping to cease. "Now, let us eat." Everyone ate their dinner, Katara glanced at Sokka, though there was enough food to keep him full for a year, he still did not look happy. _I wish Mia would return.

* * *

_

Months later it was Summer Solstice, the day Katara and Zuko decided to have their wedding. Sokka was still depressed as ever, he courted girls but never stayed with them for too long. He was about to enter his 18th birthday and still having no wife was making Katara and her father nervous. Katara sighed; it was her wedding day after all. She looked at herself in the mirror; the beautiful white gown was covered in fine white beads and beautiful gems. It hugged her curves as well as making her seem taller. She smiled to herself. She was to be married in a few minutes, savoring her last few minutes as a free woman that she had. Her dad had brought Gran-Gran up from the South Pole, as well as many of the children in her village. It had been 2 years since had seen any of them; Gran-Gran had made it her duty to make sure Katara knew what was going to take place tonight. She shivered at the memory.

* * *

"_Katara, as you know it is tradition for the mother of the bride to give this talk to her daughter before the wedding, but seeing as how your mother is not here, I shall give you the talk."_

"_Gran-Gran it's okay, you don't have too."_

"_Oh Katara, I must. Now, on their wedding night, it is tradition that the bride and groom engage in intimate contact."_

"_Gran-Gran!"_

"_Now Katara pay attention, now let me let you know that it will hurt a little, and expect soreness in the morning,"_

"_Gran-Gran that is enough."_

"_Also his highness is a firebender and from what I've heard they get warmer down there as well so expect it to burn as well, and don't freight about the blood, all virgins bleed their first time,"_

"_Gran-Gran please be quite, I've heard enough."_

"_Katara, this is valuable information."_

"_Yes Gran-Gran it is but you gave me this talk when I was 12 and had my first period."_

"_Katara, that was different, now you are about to be married. But alas, I will leave you if you want to hear no more."

* * *

_

"Lady Katara, are you ready?" a servant asked her from the door. She nodded and went to the door where she met her father in the hallway. She linked arms with him as they walked to the doors of the grand ballroom. The two of them entered. Thousands of people in the upper class of the three remaining nations, as well as Aang and Sokka sitting in the fount row. All eyes turned and were on her as she walked. Zuko was standing at the end off all the rows of chairs, at the altar. He looked deathly handsome, and happy. She made her way down the aisle on her father's arm. At the end of the rows, her father departed and sat down next to Sokka, she joined arms with Zuko instead. The two walked up the small steps to the altar. They turned to face each other as the man started speaking. Katara looked toward the crowd from the corner of her eye and spotted what looked like a person in the rafters. Her glance shifted toward it. It was a person; a person dresses in a tight black ninja suit with bright brown hair that amounted to just below the shoulder, a person, with black eyes. It was Mia. Katara blinked twice, not believing what she saw. Mia noticed her glance at her and saluted her, only to put on a mask. A red mask, the mask of the Angel of Fire, and left. Katara turned her attention back to Zuko and the man.

"I now pronounce you Fire Lord and Lady." The man said. "Kiss your bride." Zuko leaned down and kissed her. He put an arm around her wait and lead her down the steps and into another room for the party.

"What's wrong?" he asked her. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Its, I saw Mia. She was in the rafters. She saluted me and disappeared." Katara told him.

"Sounds like her, come to watch but can't stay, yes sound much like her." Zuko informed her. She gave a small smile; _at least she cared enough to come._

She spent the rest of the night dancing, eating, or talking with people. She thanked everyone for coming and headed to the room she and Zuko shared. She went into the bathroom and closed the door. _Nothing is different now than it was last night._

_**Then why do you feel different?**_

_Because we're married now_

_**Yes, and you know what is expected of you now**_

_But, I don't think I'm ready_

_**Katara, you can do this**_

_I should have listened to Gran-Gran_

_**Gran-Gran doesn't know what you're about to do, she only knows the watermen.**_

_Unless she isn't telling me something, she never did tell me about that thing with Pakku_

_**Katara, you are MARRIED. THIS IS YOUR DUTY TO HIM. Get it through this thick little head of yours**_

_Oh just shut-up._

"Katara, are you okay?" Zuko knocked on the door.

_Oh shit_

_**He's only concerned; you've been in here for 10 minutes.**_

_Really, wow_

_**Now go out there and jump his bones**_

_I really need to get you to shut you up._

_**I'll go away if you put on that short little nightdress and go out there and get some.**_

"I'm fine, I'll be out in a minute." Katara called to him. She grabbed her new nightdress; it came up to about mid thigh. She let her hair down and quickly ran a brush through it. She opened the door and came into the room Zuko was already in bed. "Hey." She said to him, he cracked an eye to look at her.

"What took you so long?" he asked her, "You usually don't take that long, I thought something had happened to you."

"I'm fine just, thinking."

"Okay." She came over to him and got in the bed. She was shaking "Are you okay?"

"Just nervous." She admitted to him.

"No need to be." He told her, swooping down he kissed her neck

"Zuko." She mumbled, he moved to her lips. She was still shaking.

"Relax, we don't have to if you don't want to."

_**I'm back!**_

"No, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

_**Hello over there!**_

"I'm fine."

"Whatever you say." With that he slipped the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders.

* * *

Katara lowered herself into a tub of water. She knew she would be sore but not this sore. She had to admit that she had liked it, both what had happened last night and waking up to find Zuko was still in bed this morning. It had been so long since she had woken up to find him still in bed with her. She sighed and leaned back, she was technically a queen now. At least her alter ego had taken a brake and left her alone as promised. She sighed and pulled herself out of the tub. She had 'duties' now. She had to go to breakfast and then sit on the throne with Zuko while he made decisions about prisoners that have been sent over from the earth kingdom. Fire Nation residents who were caught one too many times by Earth Kingdom authorities, or the ones that were in their prisons and they couldn't stand anymore. Those people had to fight for their punishment. Personally, Katara thought this was wrong, but then she found that these people had done terrible things and they make sure that no one dies. She grabbed her new gown and put it on. She brushed her hair out and put it up in a lose bun and went into the room. Zuko was still in there, attaching things to his shirt. She smiled and walked over to him. "Want some help?" she asked him, not waiting for the response she began attaching the small things to his tunic. "What are all these for anyway?"

"Today is the day that we celebrate Avatar Roku's birthday. All high-ranking officers are too were all of their medals of accomplishments. These are for strategy and such." He told her. "Did you sleep well?" he asked her in a teasing voice. She nudged him to the side.

"Very." She gave him a sly smile.

"Did you like sleeping last night?"

"Yes. I think I would like to do it again maybe tonight?" she gave him a small smile.

"That could be arranged." He told her and kissed her on the cheek. "Let's go to breakfast." They left the room and walked down the hall to the dining room. Sokka had finally cheered up a bit, seeing as how his dad had given him a talk last night, what it was about she had no idea. Aang and Toph were there as well, talking about something. Zuko took his place at the head of the table, Katara at his right and Aang at his left. He ate in silence, then left for his meeting with the war council. Katara sighed and finished her meal. She went into the garden and sat down, watching the turtle ducks swim in random patterns. _Mia never wastes any time, she's proberly halfway to the earth nation by now, something that always bugged me, if she can see with her feet, then shouldn't she be an earthbender? That always confused me about hr, she's a fire bender, and a really good one too. I hope she comes back to stay soon…

* * *

_

**Ha, really short, only 5 pages, whatever, the next chapter will jump ahead to two more years in the future, when Katara is 18. Zuko is 20, Sokka is 19, and Aang and Toph are 17. TTFN  
god damit this thing is pissing me off! shut up i don't want to hear your damn lazy twn or wonder pets what ever the hell it is song dammit. DAMMIT TURN THAT THING OFF! sry, my brother won't turn the tv off and i just have to take it out on something or i will proberly be on trial for phiscal assult on a 7 year old. damn you child safty laws.  
**


	9. Where is he anyway?

**yay! all few of you who actually read thos applaud watcher of hearts for she is my editor now! wee, now on wiht chapter 9, god i am so tierd. no time jumping in this chapter.

* * *

**Fire that helps Chapter 9

Katara strode down the halls to the nursery and picked up her son, Shang. He was just recently 1 year old. She carried him down the hall and into the garden. He loved the turtle ducks just like his father. She smiled as he tried to catch one. His black hair bounced around behind him. He was truly of the fire nation, pale skin, black hair. He had blue eyes that had specks of gold in them. The gold in his eyes enlarged when he was in the sunlight for extended periods of time. She smiled as he waddled over to her.

"Ed, ed." he said to her. He couldn't pronounce 'br' yet so 'bread' sounded like "ed." She handed him a piece of bread that he gleefully threw at the ducks. The ducks gobbled it up quickly, causing him to shriek with delight. He came back over to her. "Uppie" he piped. She picked him up and cuddled him.

"It's time for dinner." She told him. He smiled.

"Din-din, I see dada" he asked. She gave a faint smile.

"Yes, din-din, you see dada." She told him and tossed him up in the air some. "Come on, let's go to din-din." She took him to the dining room. Sokka had moved out a while ago and joined a school that taught non-benders to fight. Aang and Toph had been married and continued to travel with Appa and Momo doing his duties as the avatar, so it was just her, Shang and Zuko. _Where is he anyway? _She thought. Shang looked around wildly.

"Where dada?" he asked looking around.

"I guess he's busy." She told him, he pouted.

"You say din-din I see din-din, but I see no dada." He told her in a 'matter of fact' voice, she just had to smile at him this time. He was so cute when he tried to act superior. She looked away from him when she heard the door open and Zuko walked in. "dada!" Shang shrieked from his highchair.

"You're late." Katara eyed him.

"I know, we just got another person form the Earth Jail, disturbing the peace 18 times in 18 days and starting about 13 jail fights in the week they had her there. We need to go watch this fight after dinner, this one seems to love fighting it out." He told her, kissing Shang on the forehead and Katara on the cheek.

"He tried to act like you today, he was punishing the turtle-ducks, for they're treasonous of not eating the bread he gave them."

"That must have been nice."

"I don't like it, Zuko it's not good for a baby to act in violent ways. I don't think we should let him in the room when you talk about those kinds of things until he's older."

"Katara, he's my heir. He needs to know those kinds of things."

"Do you want him to be like your sister?"

"No."

"Then I suggest we don't allow him to be around that kind of hatefulness."

"Fine, as you wish. How old do you think is old enough?"

"When he is 8."

"Katara…"

"Don't try to change my mind, I think it should be 13, but I'm giving you a break."

"I love you."

"Hot!" Shang yelped as he dropped his fork. Katara immediately was checking his hands over; his little hands were red.

"Shang, what'd you do?" she asked him, quickly water healing his hands.

"Fire." He said and lit his palms. Katara and Zuko stared at him. "Now I like dada." He cried gleefully, bouncing up and down.

"He's a firebender." Zuko said

"Great, and to match it he seems to have your temper." She told him, "He got mad when you didn't show up because I told him he would see 'dada at din-din'."

"That's just wonderful," Zuko said sarcastically. Katara shot a glare at him as Shang yawned.

"I'll go put him to bed and meet you in the duel room so we can watch this fight." Katara told him as she picked up Shang and took him back to the nursery. She put him in his crib and kissed his forehead. The baby fell asleep quickly. She walked down the maze of halls to where the arena was, and saw that the servants had gathered to watch as usual. She came to her seat next to Zuko as they brought out the prisoner. It was a female, dressed in a tight black tunic and black sparring pants. Short hair that was a pale yet beautiful yellow adored her head. The girl had tanned skin, making her skin tone look similar to Katara's. She couldn't see her face, since the girl had her back to her. Another guard brought up a prisoner from the cells; this one was the one that fought all of the prisoners. The deal was that if he could win 10 in a row, he would be free to go. He was in for disturbing the peace. Winning this fight would mean that he could go.

"You have got to be joking me. This is going to be a piece of cake." He said and lit his hands and threw a fire punch at her. He decided to start a conversation. "What is this? You're in for starting at least 30 fights and you don't even throw a punch?"

"You don't want me to do that." She told him. Katara's head shot up, she knew that voice, but she couldn't place it.

"As a matter of fact I do." He told her.

"Fine." She threw a big fireball at him. "But you asked for it." She continued with a series of punches and kicks. She was winning the fight.

"Guard, what is her name?" Zuko asked the guard behind him.

"She refused to say what her name was. They just called her 'girl'" she spun around and Katara got a look at her face.

"Zuko."

"What?"

"Her eyes."

"What about them?"

"They're black."

"What?"

"They're black."

"Do you think…"

"There's only one way to find out."

"Stop the fight." He said to the guard and he sounded the gong. They stopped fighting. "Blindfold the girl." He instructed. The guard nodded and hurried to do so. Once they had blindfolded the girl, the gong resounded and the fight resumed.

"You have to be joking me. This is all too easy." The male prisoner said as he circled the girl. He was circling her and changing his pattern at random time. He went to strike her at the back of the head from the left, but was stopped. He arms shot out and caught him. Pushing him down to the ground she twisted his arm around behind his back and ground his face into the ground.

"Ow, ow okay I give, I give." He told her. She released him and allowed him to spit out the dirt that he had eaten. She stood up and Zuko clapped his hands.

"I think I'll have to sleep on my decision of her punishment. Take her to her cell." He instructed. "Take back this man as well, he must start all over again." Zuko stood and left the room, Katara followed at his heels.

"Zuko, its Mia, I'm sure of it. I'll even put a wager on it" She put a hand on his shoulder. He stopped in the hallway and turned to look at her.

"What terms?" He asked

"I know you've wanted to have some 'fun' for a while. So if I win, we get to have fun. If I lose, then we don't."

"Fine by me, I was going to let you go anyway, but I like this better."

XoxoX

Zuko continued down the hall and passed the servants' quarters. His two personal servants were in there doing laundry.

"Did you hear about that sexy new prisoner they got?"

"Yes, I remember her. She was the Fire Lord's friend when they were young."

"Remember what Azula arranged?"

"If it wasn't for you know what then she would be on the throne, not that water girl."

"She is pretty though, you must admit."

"And quite strong."

"But still, mixing water and fire is dangerous."

"Yes, very. A future Fire Lord of ours could end up a waterbender."

"That wouldn't be good."

"No, it wouldn't. Did you hear the girls story?"

"No, what was it?"

"Well, she was caught because she started about 6 street fights, and stole from random stores at least 12 times. Then once they put her in permanently, she started starting fights. This got her sent here." Zuko froze on sight. He had forgotten about that. He hoped that Mia had too.

XoxoX

Katara made her way down the halls and down to the cells, coming to the cell that the guards had told her was the 'girl's'.

"So, when is my damn execution?" she asked her. The girl was lying on the cot with her back to Katara.

"Mia?" Katara asked her. She sat up and turned around, fire in her eyes. She looked at Katara and relaxed.

"Oh thank god its only you." She said to her. "How are things going? Did you have a baby? You don't look it you look great. How's Sokka? He didn't try to kill himself did he? I missed you guys so much. How's Zuko doing?" she asked. Katara laughed.

"One at a time, Things are great, yes I did. His name is Shang. Thank you. Sokka's fine, he didn't kill himself even though he is a bit depressed still. Zuko's fine." She shook her head at him. "I bet if you admitted it was you he'd let you go."

"I bet if you pretended you were me and wanted to get your way you could get him to do that." She teased her. Katara punched her playfully in the arm.

"Hey." Katara said to her

"Come on now, your sexy. Don't try to deny it." Mia told her with her sly smile

"You sound like my conscious." Katara replied to her. "That's how I got Shang." Mia laughed. They heard a door open behind them and Mia quickly changed her face back to expressionless as Zuko came in.

"Katara, are you okay?" He asked Katara. She nodded her head yes.

"We were just talking." Katara stood up and looked at Zuko. "I found out her name. I was right. I win."

"I bet you do. Hi Mia, what'd you do this time? I've heard rumors…" Zuko started. It was Mia for Agni's sake, she wasn't going to judge him for not acting like a Fire Lord should.

"I beat up a bunch of guys. Drunk guys are all the same." She said. "Congratulations on the crowning, the wedding the baby and all. I was there for the crowning and the wedding, but for the safety of all of you I had to remain unseen. I think Katara saw me though."

"I saw you at the wedding." Katara recalled the event. Zuko reached forward and released her.

"Go to Sokka, he's the one who has suffered the most." Zuko told her. She nodded and hurried off. She knew where he lived now; she visited him every night in his sleep while she was posted in the Fire Nation. Watching him sleep, watching him whimper and call out in his sleep, wishing that she could crawl in there and be with him, comforting him in his time of need. _Damn vows, I took it when I was 12, for Agni's sake, how did I know I if I was going to fall in love? At least now I don't have to worry about it, I've trained my successor and then got arrested, or as they think dead. I just hope that Cami can do it, she should be able to. She's a strong girl. _Mia's mind buzzed with thoughts as she hurried down the now blackened deserted streets. It was a full moon out, just enough light to allow her to see where she stepped. She didn't have a lantern and didn't feel like firebending. If she did then she'd have to watch where she put her fire. She came to the door and pressed her ear to the door, he was awake. She closed her eyes. _Please take me back, please take me back… _she thought as she knocked on the door nervously.

XoxoX

Sokka stood up at the sound of his door being knocked on. _Who the hell would stop by this late? _He thought. He opened the door; his mouth dropped open at which he saw. "Mia?" he asked.

"Sokka, I'm sorry." tears fell out of her big, dark brown eyes and rolled down her cheek, "I'd understand if you didn't want me back, I've been gone too long and I gave you no explanation…" she trailed off as Sokka pulled her into a big, passionate kiss. When they finally escaped for air, he began talking to her.

"I missed you, I really did, but I want an explanation." He whispered in her ear and pulled her into his bedroom and pushed her onto his bed. His room was, plain. It had wood floors and walls like all households. There was no color adoring the place, it was depressing. His bed was made of blue cotton sheets and little furniture covered the place. Much different from the house she grew up in. He sat down next to her. "Start talking."

"Okay, when I was 12, I was pulled aside by a person in a mask. The person told me that they needed asuccessor, and that I was the primary candidate. I wanted to leave the Fire Nation, so I accepted. When I was 13, I ran away to fulfill my training in the Earth Kingdom with a gang. I completed my training when I was 14 and I stayed for a while, until the other person needs me to take over. That is when I met Katara and the rest of you guys. When we were in the final battle, I found the person, dying. It was my time to succeed and take charge, I understood. I didn't say goodbye to anyone, it would have put them in too much danger, and my job was needed to help restore peace in the city. I stayed for two years. I came every night to watch you sleep. I wanted so badly for you to hold me, but I knew that I had to train my successor. So I made it go as fast as possible. I found a successor and I began to train them. I took her to the Earth Kingdom to complete her training. Once I finished, I handed everything over to her. I told her I had to go and that if she needed me, I'd be in the Fire Nation capitol. I got in many fights, though, on my way back. They finally arrested me for good, instead of making me spend the night. I started fights there too. I couldn't help it, I couldn't think of any other way to keep their hands of me, especially when they were drunk. They decided to send me back here, to the Fire Nation. I had to duel someone, and I won, but Katara recognized me. She came into the holding cells rooms and released me, and then Zuko told me to find you."

"Who was the person?" he asked her.

"Sokka, you've heard of the angel of fire, right?"

"The angel in the red mask who saves people and steals from the rich and arrogant to give to the poor?"

"Yes."

"What about her?"

"Sokka," she leaned close to him, "I have been the angel for the past 5 years. I've trained my successor, and I am back, for you. I could have continued until I died or got caught, but I didn't. I faked death, so I could be with you." She whispered in his ear. He shivered; her breath was so warm. She was a firebender after all. He just, he had to get used to her again.

"I missed you." He whispered in her ear. He kissed her jaw line. She moved onto his lap and placed her head in the crook of his neck and kissed his neck.

"I missed you too." She told him, "I was… I was worried, that you wouldn't take me back after I left without saying goodbye."

"I was, sad. But why did you appear to Katara and not me?"

"I needed to let someone know I was alive, so you wouldn't think I was dead. Also, I wanted badly to appear to you, but I know you wouldn't have been able to understand my leaving again. Plus Katara is a girl; I needed to find some 'stuff' out. You can't always rely on street gossip. Most of the time its true, but sometimes it gets twisted." She yawned and closed her eyes. "Besides, Katara has had some fun yet she has no female people to talk to. I figured she needed someone to talk to just as badly as I did." She snuggled closer to him in his arms and drifted off to sleep. Sokka picked her up and tucked her into the bed, softly laying her head on the pillow. He took a step back to look at her. She had filled out a lot more, she had grown up and out a little since he had last seen her, on the day that Fire Lord Ozai was killed. Her hair had a yellow tint to it. Her skin had stayed the same caramel color that it had always been, but he found out that it was called a tan. She spent so much time in the sun that she tanned and turned darker, like a piece of meat when it cooked. He pushed a piece of her yellow-brown hair out of her face. He had changed as well. He had become broader and more muscular from all of the training he now did. He worked in a training unit, training children in styles of Martial arts. He was still shorter than Zuko, but not by much. Zuko was about 6 2', and he was only about 6 foot. His hair had been kept in the same style, and his face had lost the last of its fullness years ago, defining his features. He pulled the sheets up to cover her and keep her warm, after all it was autumn and the days were hot, but the nights were cold. He plopped down on a chair in the corner and fell asleep.

Xoxo

Zuko placed his hands around Katara's waist in the cells. "Come now and fulfill your bet." He whispered in her ear. She giggled a little as he led her out or the cells and into the wing with their bedroom in it. They walked by the doors to the servants unit, the ones that cleaned the dishes after dinner and heard tonight's gossip.

'Word is that Mia's back."

"Yes, she is."

"Do you think she came to take back what's her's from that water tribe girl?"

"No, I think she likes the girl's brother."

"I still think that a real firebender on the throne would be better than a waterbender." Katara's head shot up at this. Zuko didn't appear to hear and kept walking her toward his room. Once they were back in their room, he started to kiss her neck, but she pushed him away.

"What is this I hear about you and Mia getting married?" she asked him he closed his eyes.

"I'd rather not talk about it." He told her.

"Well, I'm not doing anything until you do."

"Aw, come on." He groaned as she sat down on the red satin sheets. She crossed her arms.

"I mean it Zuko. I have the right to know about who my husband was supposed to marry." She told him. He sunk down next to her on the chair.

"Remember how I told you we met when we were 10?"

"Yeah."

"Well, at 10 in the Fire Nation it was appropriate for children to begin courting, actually the girls were expected to. It was a ceremony, and all the boys were flocking toward one of the girls, asking her to dance. My grandfather saw this and decided to investigate. After all, if Iroh and his son didn't come back, that would mean that I would become the heir. He found that the girl was a year younger than I was and ordered me to dance with her. I did, as much as it was weird. I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk. She shrugged okay and we went outside. I noticed her eyes were glazed over, so I asked why her eyes were messed up. She said it was because she was blind. I asked her how she could see and she just shrugged it off, said she didn't know. We walked across the bridge over a pond that was quite deep. She slipped on the bridge and fell off the side, but grabbed the edge. She tried to pull herself up, but she failed and slipped. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. When she came up, she hit her head on the bar, really hard. I was surprised she wasn't knocked unconscious. I asked her is she was okay, she told me yes and that I had very neat golden eyes. I was like, aren't you blind? And she just said that she could see again, then she bowed to me and thanked me. I asked her if she wanted to dance again, and we spent the entire night dancing. My grandfather noticed this and made his decision went to her eldest brother, Zhao, and asked him if he would like to have little sister marry royalty. He approved it and so did my father. After all, she was a strong warrior and according to my father 'very, very well built' for her age, meaning that she would be when she got older, and that would give her the ability to bear many children. I being 10 then was freaked, and my mom had to calm me down. I couldn't believe it; I had just met her. My father insisted that I spend my days with her or training, so I spent my time training and sparring and getting to know her. But the odd thing was, I grew to like her as a little sister, she told me that she didn't like me that way either, but there was nothing we could do about it. It was set. I was to marry her, she was the so-called 'belle of the ball' tough as nails, could take just about anything and had the beauty to make even the most gorgeous noble woman jealous. Of course, she would have been a noble woman when she got older, as well if she hadn't of ran away when I got banished. I think I was the only thing making her stay. Anyway we had to spend much time together, adults orders. She went to school with Azula and her minions. I remember that one time; she actually beat Azula in a sparring fight. It made her so mad that she attacked her at lunch. Both girls came out bruised and beaten, but Mia had won. I was proud, and this only made my grandfather more pleased with his decision. I remember we had to fake that we like each other that way, even though we only liked each other the way you like a sibling. We went through a lot together."

"What drew people to her like that?"

"She actually has pale skin, like Zhao's. But she spent much of her time outdoors, and this darkened her skin. With her black eyes and bright hair her skin made her gorgeous, different from the pale skin of the rest. It drew the boys to her like flies with honey, you would have had the same fate if you had lived in the Fire Nation."

"Oh, sorry for snapping at you. Would you like to settle this bet now?" Katara looked at her husband slyly. He smiled and slid his hand up her shirt.

"Very much." He said to her with a sly grin

Xoxo

Mia opened her eyes, recalling the night's events once again in her head. It was sunrise, so she was rising. She had always been an early riser, Zhao had made sure of that. This way, he could beat her and then go off to train, feeling strong and good about himself. _Stupid bastard, _She thought. She looked around. Sokka was asleep on a chair in the corner of the room. It was the only furniture besides the small chest and the bed in the room. She walked past him, to explore his house. It was small, made for one person. It had a small kitchen, sitting room, washroom, and a small training room. Behind the house was a small arena for sparring and a garden. She walked back into the bedroom. "Hey." She nudged him a little. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Hey" he told her, reaching up and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Listen, where did your brothers live? I need to ask them something."

"My family's estate is just west of the Fire Palace. I assume they still live there. I want to take you to meet them. But I think that I should go first. They should be rising soon anyway." She took his hand and pulled him into a standing position. They walked out the door and down the streets, which held a quite a few people for such an early hour. But then again, this was the Fire Nation. They walked down the streets when a dark shadow covered them.

"Long time no see Mia." A large broad shouldered man was standing before them He appeared to be young, in his early 20's. Mia's face turned to a disgusted expression, the same one that she wore when she spoke of Zhao. She dropped Sokka's hand. Sokka watched what happened next with interest.


	10. Meet the family

**i messed up, its watcher of the hearts. my bad. i was tierd. weeee, its the 4th of July. Heppy independence day! now i must go hide so my dad doesn't try to get me to read the whole declaration of independence.

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**Fire that helps Chapter 10

"Get away from me you dumb bastard. Don't just think I'll forget what you did, or tried to do for that matter."

"Awe, come on Mia. You were hot, and I was young and horny. What did you expect? I'm surprised the Fire Lord himself didn't try…" he never got to finish what he said as Mia's fist connected with his face, giving him a bloody nose. He stumbled backwards and grabbed his nose.

"Whatever, I'm married now. I just wanted a second chance."

"And you start like that? You still are a mental retard." She grabbed Sokka's hand again and pulled him along with her down the street.

"Who was that? And what did he do to you?" Sokka insisted as they walked down the streets, it was Saturday, the day that Sokka had off and the day most families went shopping. The streets were becoming more crowded by the minute.

"Inane, and he tried to rape me. Zuko had saved me from that one." She told him. She pulled him down another street; there were houses along this road, not houses really, but large estates. The Fire Palace was at the end of this road. He could see it. Mia stopped at one of the houses and knocked on the door. A woman dressed in servant's cloths opened the door.

"Well, well if it isn't Mia. Decided to come back did you? Look at how much you've grown. You've blossomed into a beautiful young woman, just like your mother when she was your age." The woman said. Mia smiled and hugged her.

"Ana, I missed you a lot."

"But not enough to come back."

"I refused to return as long as that bastard was alive."

"And after he died?"

"I had, things to attend to."

"Like this boy?" she nudged the woman.

"That is none of your business."

"Oh, I see how it is. Come in honey, come in." she ushered them inside into a large foyer. "You should have seen it when Admiral Choy returned home, he was telling anyone who would listen that you were alive, and that he had seen you."

"How many are home?"

"All of them. Admiral Choy is sparring with Commander Solzu. The triplets are eating breakfast."

"Do they know I am here?"

"No, shall I fetch them."

"I think I'll join their fight."

"Yes Mia, I think you remember where everything is."

"I do."

"Then I shall be in the kitchen if you need me." The woman, Ana bowed in respect and left tem. Mia trudged off into a hall, and Sokka followed her. They came to a spot outside. He saw two men sparring, one he recognized as Admiral Choy, the man who had captured them on that ship so long ago. The other was obviously younger, but just as strong.

"Stay here." Mia told him. She silently picked her way around the brambles. She found a spot and watched as they finished. Admiral Choy kicked the other boy's feet out from under him and knocked him over, winning the fight. The Admiral offered his hand to the other boy and pulled him up into a standing position. Mia clapped behind them. They spun around and seeing her ran forward and pulled her into a group hug. "Can't breath damn it…" she yelped and they let her go.

"Mia, what the hell happened? You dropped off the face of the earth." The other boy told her.

"I had some unfinished business to carry out." She gave them a small 'don't ask' smile. The boys shrugged it off.

"Come on, you must see the triplets." Admiral Choy grabbed her wrist and tugged on it. She slipped out of his grasp.

"Wait, I want you to meet someone." She disappeared back into the garden and grabbed Sokka's wrist. She dragged him out into the small arena. Both men blinked, looked at each other, then bowed to Sokka.

"Mia, may I ask what the occasion is that you bring the brother of the fire queen to our home?" Admiral Choy asked her.

"Sokka and I have been courting for quite a while and I decided to bring him to you to meet him." Solzu's eyes widened at this but he said nothing. Admiral Choy looked surprised.

"How long have you been back?" he asked her

"Not long, I got back last night. We began courting back before This Fire Lord, when the war was still going on." Admiral Choy nodded his head in approval.

"You have my approval." Solzu said nothing, so Admiral nudged his little brother.

"Mine too." He told the two. Mia smiled and they all left the arena, heading toward the house. They entered a room that had 3 boys; they looked like exact copies of each other, all with the same exact hairstyle and features, but different color ribbons in their hair, one was black, one was gold, and one was red.

"Mia!" the three men exclaimed when they saw her, after all they all thought she was dead along with Zhao. They all jumped up and hugged their little sister. She smiled and hugged them all back.

"I have missed you guys."

"We all though you were dead, but Choy was all 'she's alive dammit, I'm positive of that. Don't touch any of her stuff, she is alive' we all called him nuts, but he was right." The one with the gold ribbon told Mia. She nodded,

"And of course you will be returning home. By the way, little sister of mine, when did you get back." Admiral Choy said with a grin on his face.

"Last night." Mia said simply,

"Oh, well then where did you stay?" Choy asked her with an agitated voice

"At Sokka's place" All five of her brothers eyebrows raised "But, I slept where I landed, he slept on a chair."

"Good, you are still unwed and that would have been sinful." The man with the gold ribbon said.

"Oh yeah, right Sokka this is Naro, Kimigi, and Gigo, Naro has the gold ribbon, Kimigi has the red one and Gigo has the black ribbon. Triplets, this is Sokka, my boyfriend." She told them, Sokka took notice to how the triplets reacted. Naro simply raised his eyebrows, Kimigi shrugged it off, but Gigo looked at him with an element of not trusting him. _Just like I look at Zuko. _Sokka thought to himself. He didn't dare ask today, it would be awkward. _I don't know how much longer I can go without asking though. _He had talked to Zuko, and learned that in the Fire Nation, if a man wanted to marry a woman, he had to ask permission of the father, or if the father was dead the permission of the oldest brother. _Admiral Choy would be the one to ask, yes I'll ask him Monday at work. He trains the benders and I train the non-benders, I'll just have to catch him alone, but in the presence of others incase he tries to kill me._  
"Hey, don't you work at the Academy too, in the non-benders department?" Admiral Choy asked him. Sokka nodded. "Well speak damn it, here we rely on words, not head bobbing."

"Yes I do." Sokka told him, not wanting to anger the Admiral. His gaze moved down to his feet. Gigo stood up.

"Well, the three of us must be going, the navy ships don't build themselves." He insisted. Kimigi and Naro stood and followed their brother out the elegant wooden doorframe. Solzu leaned back and placed his head on the wall.

"Ah, quite." He mumbled. Choy rolled his eyes. Sokka moved his eyes to look out the window.

"I've got to go, I'm supposed to meet my sister for a walk with the prince. She calls it male bonding or something like that." Sokka said, "I'll see you later."

"I'll show you out." Mia spoke up and grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room and into the main hall. "That couldn't of gone any worse." She groaned, and Sokka nodded. "My God, why were you so quite, usually you never shut-up."

"I just, didn't want to say anything stupid." He told her, her face softened.

"Aww, that's sweet. But now my brother thinks there is something wrong with you or something." She moved next to him and placed her arm around his waist and kissed him on the cheek.

Xoxo

Solzu spied on his sister with the water tribe man. He watched as they talked, and as his sister moved and put her arm around the boy's waist. His eyes widened as he watched the water tribe man kiss his younger sister, and they seemed to be using tongue. _But why should I be mad, after all, he is the sister to the wife of our Fire Lord, even though if it weren't for her then my sister would be the fire queen. And he also is very handsome, plus my sister is 19, and able to marry. _He thought to himself. He watched as the two drew apart and the water tribe man left. He quickly slipped back into the kitchen before Mia could get there. She came back into the kitchen, with the same smile he remembered on his sister when she was a baby, small, clueless and happy.

"So this Sokka man, he is how old?" Choy asked her

"19, only a few months older than me." She told him

"How long have you known him?"

"Since we were 15 and I was training the avatar in firebending." Solzu nodded to this, it was not in everyone's head and heard at least once a week that his little sister had been the one to teach the avatar firebending. Choy nodded at this. "We have a lot of catching up to do sister."

Xoxo

Aang and Toph were curled up on Appa, sleeping. It was just nightfall and the two had already fallen asleep, both preferring to sleep on top of Appa in the lush outdoors than in an inn. Toph was curled up in Aang's arms, her head on his chest. There was only one thing; he was in the spirit world in his sleep. He didn't know how he got there, one second he was dreaming about Toph and cheese, the next he was in the spirit world, before Avatar Roku.

"Avatar Aang, I have brought you here to tell you something new, and important. We had a second Avatar Spirit released, and she has been active for a while."

"I do not understand" Aang was confused, wasn't there only one Avatar?

"Let me explain, when you were trapped in the iceberg, a fraction of your spirit was moved into the Spirit world. We decided to create a back up Avatar. Unfortunately, the spirits for water and earth never lived long enough to even learn that they were an avatar. Then we come to the element fire and the avatar for this. This avatar survived, but does not know that she is an avatar. She is 19 currently and living in the capitol of the Fire Nation. You need to find her and get her to pass over into the spirit world, so that she can complete the avatar cycle and there will only be one avatar again."

"Why was there a second Avatar created?"

"To restore the balance incase you didn't escape in time. It defiled all laws, but we did it anyway. Now go."

"But who is it?"

"You have already met her."

"How can I tell?"

"Her eyes are a unique color, no one else has ever had the same color eyes as her…" Avatar Roku faded into a distant shape and Aang found himself in complete darkness. He opened his eyes and found himself once again with Toph in his arms, asleep. He blinked a few times, registering what had just happened. Then he figured it out, what Roku had meant by the unique eyes thing. Only one person he knew had eyes that unique that no one else in the world had them. He quietly shook Toph a little so that she would wake up.

"Wha…" she said sitting up.

"Toph, we need to go to the Fire Nation."

"What for?"

"I had a dream, I was talking to Roku and I need to do something."

Xoxo

Sokka grunted as he picked up a few stray weapons that were left on the floor in his classroom. _They just had to give me the young children before lunch didn't they? _He thought with a grunt as he put the stray weapons into the supply closet. He locked the door to the room and went into the lunchroom. He got his normal lunch and headed for the teachers' lounge. Once there he sat by himself, as usual. Most of the other teachers just glanced at him sometimes, they clearly thought that he didn't belong here. He knew Choy; he was the second in command at the Royal Fire Navy Academy, and had been the one to hire him as the new defensive arts teacher. Choy taught the advanced bending classes. After lunch he headed back to his classroom, which was when the older children where. They were a lot better than the younger children. He finished his classes and locked his room out. He went to find Choy; he needed to ask him something. He found him, doing the same as he had been doing in his own classroom, picking up stuff. He knocked on the door, or rather the wall next to the door. "Enter." he heard Choy say, he entered.

"Oh, hello Sokka." Choy said, putting the last dummy away into his supply closet. "What can I help you wish?"

"I need to ask you something, about Mia." Sokka told him, he remembered to look him straight in the eye when he talked to him.

"What about her?" Choy looked at him, with the same emotionless face that Mia used looked at him with all the time.

"I would like your permission to ask for her hand in marriage." He stated, looking Choy right in the eye as he said it. Choy shook his head in approval.

"I approve, do you know how to propose to her?"

"No, Fire Lord Zuko just told me that I needed to ask the permission of the oldest brother or father."

"Similar to the Water Tribe, you go and find a stone. Then you polish it until it shines and is small and round, about the size of two fingers across. You then carve into it a symbol; it can be any symbol. Then you attach it to a chain and present it as a necklace to the girl." Choy told him, locking the supply closet and turning around.

"Thank you." Sokka bowed slightly and turned and left. He headed strait for the beach to find a stone. He found one finally; it was a bright red. He took it back to his house, but not with out stopping for some dinner first. He took a sanding stone and a knife and got to work on his new project.

Xoxo

He spent three days working on that pendent. Before work, and after work, that was all that he did. He had seen little of Mia in the past few days, but Choy had begun to eat lunch with him, and it appeared that Mia had gotten the job as the Royal Fire Navy Academy for Girls head firebending instructor. Mia was also now living at home, Choy decided that Sokka should propose to her on Saturday, there was a festival going on and he could get her to go out with him. Surprisingly Choy wanted him to marry his sister. He finally managed to work up the guts to ask him why.

"Because Mia is getting older, and in the Fire Nation the women must be wed before they are 22 or they will have a groom chosen for them. I do not want my sister ending up with some old hag." Had been his answer.

It was Saturday now, and he and Mia were at the festival. She was happy to see him, having not seen him all week.

Xoxo

Sokka and Mia took some seats on a bench in town to watch the fireworks. He kept glancing at her, and it was making her nervous. He finally took a deep breath. "Mia, I want to ask you something."

"What?" she asked him, she had never been the brightest bulb in the bunch. She was not all too smart, she had to push herself to remember things that her teachers would throw at her, and she had never had too good a memory. She was a very in one ear and out the other type of girl. Her common sense proved her the opposite way; it usually caught on quickly to things, but this time she honestly had no idea what he was asking her. The first thought that came to mind, was he wanted to know whether to buy noodles or dumplings. He reached back into his pocket and pulled something out, it was covered by his hand though. _This is the perfect place! As much as I'd like to not admit it I can't help it. All the lush decorations of paper lanterns and colorful masks, this is all just way too damn perfect. _Sokka thought to himself.

"Mia, would you marry me?" he opened his hand, revealing the necklace he had carved her. It was a red stone, with the symbols for the Fire Nation and Water Tribe interloping. He had polished this stone within an inch of its life, and then he had carved his design. He had it sealed afterwards so it wouldn't crack or anything.

"Yes." Mia threw bother her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Sokka smiled and hugged her back. People were giving them weird looks on the street, but he really didn't give a damn. _She said yes, she said yes, _Was all that went through his head right now.

Xoxo

Aang and Toph landed in the Fire Capitol 2 moths later, as they had been somewhere in the central Earth Kingdom when they had left. They immediately went the Fire Palace. He was let through and into the throne room, where Zuko was sitting on his throne.

"Avatar, long time no see." He stated. "What brings you here?"

"With all due respect, I need to see Mia. I have been told that she is here in the capitol. Do you know where she is?" Zuko smiled a little.

"Yes, she is here in the capitol. I shall warn you though that she has changed much since the last time you saw her. She has married."

"To who?" Aang asked Zuko. Zuko just smirked and looked at him.

"You know him quite well…" It all registered to Aang.

"She married, Sokka?" Aang blurted out. _No freaking way, Sokka would never, than again he really did seem to like her even…_

"Yes she did." _Oh shit, he's not going to like me escorting her into the spirit world._

"Can you tell me where she is?"

"It is late, they would be at their house. I can arrange someone to take you over there…"

"My Lord," A guard busted into the room, "extremely sorry to interrupt but we have a problem."

"What is it?"

"Your son Prince Shang has been kidnapped."

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**Dun dun dun! I'm cutting off here.**


	11. Finding Shang, and making a bigger mess

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** Fire that helps Chapter 11

"What!" Zuko yelled, jumping from his seat. Aang stepped back; little Shang had been kidnapped? "How could this have happened?"

"It's the rebels my lord, they snuck in and left a ransom. They slayed all the guards that tried to shield them."

"What about Katara, is she alright?"

"She was in the library, safe."

"Where is she now?"

"In the gardens."

"Did you see who did this."

"Yes, a man who looked like a monkey was all that the few surviving guards could say, as they were badly injured." _It couldn't be, he's supposed to be dead._

"Search the city and the outside grounds surrounding the city within 5 miles. Do not harm my son, but do as you must to the man." The guard nodded and left. "Aang, I can't send you to her right now, I need to find Katara and Shang. Ask around for Mia, most of the people know her here." Aang nodded ad bowed before he left to join Toph and head out.

Xoxo

Zuko hurried down the deep mahogany halls to the garden. He found Katara there, by the lush red and gold fire-lilies staring at the turtle duck pond. "Katara." He said, she looked down at the water in the pond. "Katara, tell me what happened."

"I put him down for his nap and went down to the library to get something to read. I came back, and Shang was gone. Blood was everywhere as well as 2 living guards, each severely wounded. I saw the ransom note, pinned to the wall, and I ran out here." She burst into tears. He placed an arm around her lovingly, gently caressing her cheek.

"I'm doing everything I can to have him found." He whispered in her ear, Katara clenched her eyes closed, tears falling out of her eyes. It was well past dark, and he could see the blue outline of Katara's face was wet from tears. He held her close. "I don't think that you should go anywhere for the next few days. I don't want you running off to help look for him; you could get hurt. And I do not want you walking around, I don't want you to be abducted." He told her while gently stroking her cheek. She nodded.

"I want you to have Mia look, if anyone can find someone, its her." She sniffled out. Zuko nodded.

"Come on, I want you to rest. I'll go and ask her myself before the gossip gets to her. Come on, I'm taking you to bed." He pulled her up and began to drag her toward the palace.

"No, Zuko I'm not tired, I want to help." She groaned at him.

"I can't risk losing you." He simply stated and despite her protests he dragged her all the way up to the 6th floor and into their bedroom. He pulled back the sheets and eased her into the bed, before pulling the sheets back up and tucking her in. "Sleep tight." He told her and kissed her forehead. She looked at him and sighed. He moved away from the bed and went to the dresser to get a black hooded shirt and matching black pants to allow him to prowl the streets without being recognized. She got up and pulled off her dress, putting on another one that was clean, and suitable for sleep, and then took out her hair. She flopped back onto the bed and watched as he pulled off his Fire Lord robes and put on the black pants and a loose black tunic. He pulled the hoodie over his head. He came over to her and ran his fingers through her hair. "I won't be gone long, I want to ask her myself and in person." Katara nodded, she didn't trust herself to speak. She was afraid she would burst into tears. Zuko kissed her forehead and went over to the wall, where there was a large banner with the Fire Nation emblem on it. He pulled it back to reveal a door. He went through the door into the secret passages in the wall. He hurried through here. The passages had been built incase the royal family ever had to escape or hide from attacks. Of course, the last time that someone used these for such purposes was a hundred years ago, when the Earth Nation made its first, and only, attack against the Fire Nation Capitol. He remembered that as a young boy he would explore these on nights when he couldn't sleep.

Xoxo

He finally found it, Mia and Sokka's house. It didn't take long, but the man they had decided to ask directions of had a weird speaking disability and was hard to understand. He knocked on the door, and Sokka opened. "Aang, what are you? I thought you were in the central Earth Kingdom."

"I was, I need to talk to Mia." Aang said

"Come in, hi Toph the rock slayer." Sokka opened the door

"Shut up boomerang boy." Toph snapped at Sokka as he led Aang and Toph into the house. It was small, with a small sitting room and dining room up front and a kitchen toward the back toward the left. The bedroom was in the back toward the right.

"That's boomerang _man_ to you." Sokka said to them

"Sokka, what's going on?" Mia came out of the bedroom in a pair of loose sparring pants, obviously Sokka's since the pants were dark red with a blue thread used to sew it together, and a black sparring shirt. Her medium length bright brown with yellow streaks hair was down and framing her face. "Oh, hi, what are you guys doing here?" She asked.

"Mia, I need to talk to you in private." Aang told her

"Why?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Whatever, let's go into the kitchen." Aang followed Mia into the kitchen it was small. And decorated in very plain attire. "What did you need to talk to me about." He told her about his dream and about what Avatar Roku had told him.

"And we need to go into the spirit world to fix this."

"So let me get this strait, I'm, an avatar sort of, and I need to go and return my powers?"

"I guess that Roku can explain it better."

"Okay, how do we get there?"

"Meditate?"

"Okay… let's try." They sat on the floor and got into a crossed leg position. They closed their eyes and folded their hand into their laps.

"What are they doing?" Sokka asked

"They're meditating genius." Toph answered

"I know that, but, why are they?"

"I don't know."

"Can you two idiots shut-up?" Mia opened her eyes, and so did Aang. "I mean really, how are we supposed to meditate?" Toph and Sokka shrugged. Mia rolled her eyes and locked eyes with Aang for a second. In the second they locked eyes, they entered the spirit world.

Xoxo

"Okay, where are we?" Mia asked Aang, they were standing on a piece of land in the middle of an ocean of lava.

'We're in the spirit world." Aang told her

"I know that, but where in the spirit world?" She looked around; she spotted a monkey sitting in a temple. "Hey monkey thing!" She yelled

"Go away." The monkey said.

"Holy shit the monkey can talk!" she yelped and jumped back. The monkey cracked an eye and looked at them.

"Oh no, not you again. Must you interrupt my meditating place for Tuesdays?" the monkey said mad closed his eyes again.

"Okay than Mr. Bitchy monkey curly tailed lemur thing, we'll leave if you tell us where to go." She argued.

"There, follow that shiny thing." Aang jumped from rock to rock after it. Mia followed him.

"Don't fall." She yelled to him. He reached out and grabbed it; it materialized into Avatar Roku.

"Come with me please." Avatar Roku flashed them from the lava-surrounded rocks to puffy white clouds.

"Listen Avatar Roku, could you explain this all to me?"

"Avatar Mia, you have been the result of the secondary Avatar Spirit. What happened was 60 years after Avatar Aang was sealed in the iceberg; we extracted a part of the spirit, one that holds only the 4 most powerful avatars of the past. These spirits must be recombined with the others. The other two before you, both died before their 22nd birthday. Any other questions?"

"Is this why I was able to 'see' even when I was blind?" Mia asked

"Yes, It was."

"Will I still be able to?"

"Bending attaches itself to a persons spirit. It is part of your spirit. You will be able to bend all the elements, but you will never be able to master all of the elements, you will not be able to learn past the beginners sets."

"Okay, what do I have to do?"

"You and Aang, sit across from each other and join hands, then say _Cedo, prendo l'alimentazione e lo lascio solo _at the same time. Then you will find yourselves back in the physical world."

Xoxo

Zuko knocked on the door to Mia and Sokka's house. Sokka pulled the door open. "What do you want Zuko?" Sokka asked

"I need to speak with Mia." Zuko said

"Well, you're going to have to get in line." Sokka opened the door a little more, to reveal Mia and Aang, in the spirit world. Then suddenly they both opened their eyes and stopped glowing.

"Mia, I need your help. Shang's been kidnapped, and you're the only one who I think can find him." Zuko said to her.

"Okay, I will." Aang said, in what sounded like Mia's voice. Mia and Aang were still sitting on the floor.

"I asked Mia, not you Aang." Zuko said in a matter of fact voice.

"I am Mia." Aang said, confused

"No your Aang."

"HOLY SHIT" Aang yelped and jumped into the air, blowing a bundle of air backwards and hitting the wall. " WHAT THE HELL, WHY AREN'T I IN MY BODY!"

"I think something went wrong when we came back to the physical world." Mia said standing up, sounding like Aang.

"Well that's a problem." Sokka said, Toph just stood there looking annoyed and Zuko stood there.

"Well, I've got work to do, I'm going to go find Shang. I can deal with this problem later." Aang stood up and stalked out the door, walking only about 20 feet out into the dark of the warm, Fire Nation fall night, before turning and walking back into the house. "Aang, do you have any black cloths? I can't stalk the night dressed in bright orange and yellow." Aang turned around and said to Mia. Mia opened her mouth to say something, but a bright blue light filled the room both of them passed out onto the ground.

"Okay what the hell is going on?" Zuko said

"I don't know who to go to! Is Mia, Mia and Aang, Aang? Or is Mia, Aang and Aang, Mia? Dammit I'm confused, and hungry. Mia was about to make dinner." Sokka groaned. Aang's eyes opened and Toph, who surprisingly had remained silent this entire time, bent down to hug him

"You are Aang right?" she whispered in his ear

"Yeah I am. I don't know what happened." He told her back.

"Shit" Mia sat up, "That hurt dammit, hey I'm in my body again!" she said, Sokka rushed over to her side and pulled her up to her feet

"You okay?" he asked her, pushing a strand of her hair being her ear

"I think," she told him

"I think, I think that this bending and spirit crap is hurting you, I don't want you to do it anymore." Sokka told her

"Well than your not going to get any anymore." She pushed him off of her, he looked hurt while Aang and Toph looked embarrassed and Zuko was angry looking

"Consider the fact that you and his sister have been getting down with it for the past 5 years, and a lot considering that you have a kid." Mia told to Zuko, she knew him and she was like a little sister to him. He was protective of her the same way Sokka is of Katara. "I still accept your offer, I'll go change into my stalking cloths and be off. Promise to you from me that I'll have him back by dawn tomorrow." She saluted him and turned to leave. This was how people dismissed in the military, how she'd been raised. Zuko turned and left the house as well as Aang and Toph, who had a temple on one of the cliffs of the nation that had a gorgeous view of the ocean. Sokka followed Mia into the room, where she was pulling off the sparring shirt; Sokka walked over to her side and pulled it off her head.

"Let me help you with that." He slipped the shirt over her head and tossed it aside. He ran his hand up and down her tanned body, over her breast bindings, "Much better." He told her. She swatted his hand away

"No, I told you no."

"Aw, come on…"

"I've got to get Shang, I'll tell you what. You be good until I find him and then you can have some, maybe."

"Fine." He grumbled Mia smiled and pulled on a tight, long sleeved black dress that came to just above where her wrist hit her thighs. She slipped off the sparring pants and pulled on leggings, along with a pair of shoes that were firm, but quiet. She pulled on her gloves and pulled her hair back into a low ponytail as she strapped on both of her swords to her back. She slipped black gloves onto her hands. Mia grabbed her hip-pack that was stocked with her sleuthing equipment.

"I better be going." She told him and reached up to kiss him good-bye, but he grabbed her face and deepened the kiss. She groaned into his mouth a little at this, he was such a good kisser. She pushed him off of her. "I gotta go, I have an idea where these rebels are hiding." She told him and stalked over to the window in their room and opened the shutters. She slipped out into the warm, dark autumn night. The moon did not shine at all, making it difficult to see. She used her earth bending to find where things were so she didn't trip. He powers were weaker now; she stepped on mice twice and could only detect the larger objects, such as trees and homes. She opened her eyes. It was useless. The stars shone just bright enough so that she could see everything, or at least a blurb of everything. She felt a hand over her mouth. She flipped whoever it was over her head and onto the ground. It was Zuko.

"I want to help." He told her, she looked him over. He was dressed in all black as well, but his scar was all too noticeable and a dead giveaway.

"Okay, but hold still for a second." She drew a small jar from her belt pack and pulled some goo out of it and placed it over his scar.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, he trusted her not to poison his or anything, but he was curious.

"There, all done." She pulled a mirror out and showed him his face, it looked just like he used to, before the tragic Agni Kai.

"What did you do?"

"It's a new invention of mine, I call it cover up.'

"Okay." Zuko was confused, but he knew better than to argue with Mia. She was not someone you want to argue with, seeing as how she can convince anyone of anything. But she's not perfect, her left arm and handwriting. Reading she breezes through like a breeze that comes off of the Pacific Ocean and kisses the face of whomever it can. She was always the first one done when it came to reading. Plus she remembered everything she read, making her useful in quick situations. But with the not perfect thing, yeah she has a weakness. As said before, it's her left arm. If it's twisted too fast in the wrong direction, it pops. And what is disgusting is that you can hear it pop, then pop back into place. This stops her. Mia can take a full-grown man twice her size and beat his ass to a pulp, but she needs both her arms in commission to do it. Zuko found this out the hard way, watching her brother abuse her by twisting her arm, making her practically helpless, then beating her and throwing fire balls at her. Mia stopped walking up the dark streets of the capitol. She turned left, down an alley. Zuko didn't question her methods, she knew what she was doing, and he just followed her.

Xoxo

Orange blossoms. A food that only grows in the earth kingdom, a rare scent in the Fire Nation. Katara always wore a splash of orange blossom scented water, therefore Shang always smelled of orange blossoms too. The sent of orange blossoms was in the air, meaning that Shang was nearby. The ally led to a clearing in the forest that surrounded the city. In this clearing, were hundreds of tents with the Fire Nation insignia on them. But the symbol was changed, the lines were jagged not strait and curved. She pushed herself and Zuko back behind some crates that hid the entrance in the ally." Zuko, do you remember our old whistle?"

"Yeah." he remembered the whistle they used to tell each other where they were, and as a call of help.

"Stay here, don't come in unless you hear it."

"Mia I'm not letting--"

"Yes you are. Listen to me, they will kill you and Shang if you step foot in there. For your life and your son's, stay here until I give you the signal." He nodded and she slipped off into the camp.

Xoxo

"Well look at you, a big boy, almost 2 years old as a matter of fact. You should be my nephew, if it all hadn't gone wrong. You know, I was planning on having your daddy bring back my little sister, this way I could get my hands on more power. Anyone else and she would kick their ass if they came within a few feet of her, but I've got her scared out of her wits of me. Then I would kill off your daddy and my sister and obtain the throne. Unfortunately that mother of yours got in the way." Zhao was holding Shang up, talking to him.

"Sir, we have found that the Fire Lord has gone missing. No one knows where he is." A guard came in and reported.

"Well, get your asses out there and find him. He is weak and vulnerable, what better time to get rid of him than now?" Zhao snapped at the guard, who bowed and hurried off to get a search crew.

Xoxo

_Dumb ass, didn't think to give that baby a bath. _Mia thought to herself as she watched Zhao talk to the baby, telling it his plans. _Don't worry Shang, I'll get that jackass away from you. _Zhao put the baby down and left, some one was calling his name for some reason.

"What do you dumb fucks want?" he was yelling as he stormed out of his tent. Mia slipped back in and scooped up Shang in her right arm. She covered his mouth so he couldn't yell or talk and started hauling him out.

"Shang, its okay. It's only me, Auntie Mia. I'm taking you away from him." She looked at his pale little arms, covered in burns and bruises. She shook her head, Zhao never liked children, unless he needed him to suck up to his parents. She carried the baby back toward the opening under the tent that she came in through. Then she heard him.

"Sister, how nice it is to see you." Mia decided not to give him the satisfaction of her recognizing his presence and she kept walking. Suddenly he appeared in front of the exit, not allowing her to leave without a fight.

"Move aside Zhao."

"Alas sister, I will not take orders from a little girl. Give me the boy and join me."

"As much as you may not like it Zhao, I am happy. The world is at peace. You and the rest of you dogs are just going to have to deal, so move." In a flash he grabbed her left arm and twisted it expertly. She dropped Shang as she fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Zhao paid no mind to the baby as he crawled out of the tent.

"I see you still have not changed." He said and he stepped on the back of her head. "No matter, Igni has much fun with his work for me last time. He will most likely enjoy it again." He eyes widened as he pressed her face into the cold dirt. She remembered him, and she hated him. _Zhao sent him, no way. _"And yes, I did send him. I figured for you to be the future Fire Lord's wife, you'd need some experience to make him happy."

"All it did was traumatize me." She grunted as he pushed her face father into the ground.

"Well, it was a waste of money." He grabbed the back of her hair, which was now filled with the dirt from his boots, and looked her straight in the face. "But luckily he owed me a favor." She took the chance to attempt to whistle, but Zhao covered her lips with a hand killing her attempt.


	12. You Again

** this is going to be the last chapter for a while, insted of spring cleaning around here we do agust cleaning.**

* * *

Fire that helps Chapter 12 

Shang crawled across the ground, so many new sights, so many new sounds, and so many new smells. He freaked. So much new at one time was scaring him. He smelt something, orange blossoms and pine. _Dada! _He cried in his mind and crawled toward the scent.

Xoxo

Zuko stayed crouched behind the crate. _Hurry up Mia. _He thought, he heard a noise coming toward him. He looked over at it; _Shang _he thought happily and scooped up his son. _But where's… _he heard a start of their whistle code, which didn't finish. "Stay here Shang, dada will be right back, stay here." He told his son and began to creep toward where he had heard the whistle come from. _At least I blend in, the rebel color _is_ black._

Xoxo, flashback

_Mia fingered the pendant on her necklace. Her pendant was on a chain, and came down low. It was the royal pendant, the one those 3 years ago she had been engaged to Prince Zuko with. Only six more months, then they would be wed. She sighed. He was 14 today, technically a year older than she was, and she had to have dinner with him tonight. She liked Zuko, but not in that way. She liked him as a brother, or how you would like a brother if he didn't burn you. "Class dismissed." The instructor called, she gathered up her scrolls into her red over the shoulder bag to leave, she hated it here, everyone treated her different because she was to marry the future Fire Lord, and they didn't even learn anything interesting. They learned how to tend to gardens, cook, sew, and other boring things like that. They learned to fight too, but that was only because the Fire Lord believed that if a woman fought well, she would bear more sons. All the more soldiers for the army. She was good at things like the arts and politics; Zuko secretly tutored her in what he learned, it gave him practice and give her an opportunity to learn. She sighed and sat down in the lobby. Zuko had to come pick her up everyday and walk her home. It was the way that they get to know each other. After all, the royal Fire Nation academy was right across from the royal Fire Nation academy for girls. He just would walk over there, pick her up and walk her home. Then they would go and appear at some stupid function that the Fire Lord had decided that he couldn't go to, but could send his son and his fiancée to. She saw Zuko come in._

"_Mia." He said and offered his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up and placed an arm around her waist. This was their put on act, the act that they put on in public that they liked each other that way, when they didn't. "I hope we don't run into Azula." He told her. She nodded. Azula had caught Zuko teaching her about the things he learned about, and unless they did what she said she would tell the Fire Lord and Mia would be arrested. Women were only good for having children, giving a man pleasure and looking pretty in the Fire Lord's opinion. A woman who learns about the same things men do is forbidden. Unfortunately, Azula had a sick obsession of likeing to watch them make out, so she would order them to make out and they would have to stand there and make out. She liked it, he was a really good kisser, but she just couldn't bring herself to enjoy it as much as she should. She could sense that Zuko did too, they both thought of each other like siblings._

"_Hey guys." Azula came out from behind a tree with Ty Lee and Mai in tow. "You know what I would like? For the two lovers to kiss." Zuko rolled his eyes and leaned forward and planted his lips on Mia's. "Don't forget the tongue, I didn't see any last time." She reminded them and stuck his tongue into her mouth. She slid her hands up to around his neck, and he placed both hands around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Azula spoke again. "Why don't you try grabbing her butt, you know you want to. Plus I'd like to see her reaction." Azula called to them. She could fell Zuko resist clenching his teeth, seeing how her tongue was in his mouth. He slid his hands down and grabbed her butt. She flinched, but held her ground. Azula put a satisfied look on her face and walked off. The two separated their heads. Mia looked at him for a second, the closed her eyes and shook her head._

"_You're not mad at me are you?" he asked her she shook her head, "Because you know I'd never violate you like that, grabbing your butt I mean. I only did it so that I could."_

"_I know," she interrupted him. He removed one of his arms from around her waist and she pulled one of his arms from around his neck and they walked toward her house. The Fire Nation was beautiful this time of year, autumn. The leaves on the trees were perfect golden, red, orange, and yellow colors, with some of them scrunching beneath their feet. The grass was green as ever and the weather was perfect. They approached her house. Today he was staying over, and everyone expected them to spend their time after school making out instead of him teaching her. So when they hear someone coming, they get into a making out position, and pretend that's what they'd been doing. They walked up the stairs and into her room, he pulled off his armor and his scrolls and began to teach her. But something was wrong, and he seemed distracted._

"_Now the pythagrum theorem states that aa+bbcc" he was talking_

"_Hey." She poked him and he looked up from talking at her. "What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_I know you, there is something wrong."_

"_It's my dad."_

"_What'd he do?"_

"_He sent two concubines to my room last night."_

"_No way."_

"_Yeah, to 'show me the ropes'. They asked questions and showed me… things."_

"_Oh," she blinked, "What'd they ask?"_

"_Basically about you."_

"_I said what not who."_

"_They asked things like when we made out, did I touch you and stuff." He looked at the floor._

"_Well of course you touch me, I mean our moths touch and you hold me and stuff."_

"_Not like that…"_

"_Then what about?"_

"_I don't like to talk about it…"_

"_Come on Zuko, its me."_

"_Well umm…" he squirmed in his spot a little, "They asked me if when I made out with you if I, uh put my hands up your shirt."_

"_Huh?"_

"_They asked if when I made out with you if I put my hands up your shirt."_

"_Why would you do that?"_

"_To, uh feel your uh…"_

"_Oh, OH" she got it. They sat there in silence. "What'd you say?"_

"_I said no, and they told me to try it with them, then on you. I was all, but won't she feel violated? And they were all no she'll like it."_

"_Did you try it?"_

"_On them?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Yeah. I didn't want to, but I figured that if I just let them do what they wanted, they'd leave."_

"_Did you like it?"_

"_I kind of, well, uh."_

"_You can say yes."_

"_But, well, uh I don't know. I'd think that I'd been dishonorable to you."_

"_Don't you think that your father kept a few in his room when your mother was alive?"_

"_Well yeah, but I'm not like him. I want him to like me, but you know that he doesn't. He thinks I'm a failure. Just because I believe in things like the balance of the elements."_

"_You're not a failure Zuko." They say in silence for a second_

"_Thanks, but I'd never, ever even think about doing some of the things they did to me to you."_

"_What else did they do."_

"_Believe me when I say, you do not want to know."_

"_Aww, come on. If we are going to be married, I should at least get to know."_

"_Well you'll have to wait." He smirked as he looked at her. He cared for her deeply, but the way he used to love his sister, before she became a cold-hearted bitch._

"_Zhao's coming." She said, he reacted by putting a hand behind her head and another around her waist and covering her lips with his. She moved both her hands up to around his neck. "Stick your hands under my shirt." She said into his mouth_

"_But, why. Wouldn't that dishonor you?" he said back_

"_No, it will get Zhao to leave faster if he thinks were getting to know each other that way, you know he suspects that this is not what we're doing while we're up here." Zuko sighed and slid the hand that around her waist under her dress and up to her breasts. "Dumb ass, he'll know that we're faking and demand to know what we're really doing if you just sit there." He said into her mouth_.

"_Promise me that you won't hate me afterwards." You're the only friend I got he added silently in his head_

"_Okay I promise" he began moving his fingers the way the concubines had taught him last night and he instinctively pulled her closer to him. One of her hands moved down and along his chest muscles. The door to her room swung open and Zhao was standing there. Zuko withdrew his hand as two broke apart and blushed. Zhao smiled._

"_Good to see you two getting to know each other." He said, "Just remember that below the waist is off limits till marriage." Zhao closed the door and Mia listened to him walk back down the stairs. She let out a sigh._

"_Thank Agni we alluded him again." She flopped backwards on her bed so that she could stare at the ceiling. He turned his head to look outside._

"_It's nearing time to go, you want me to leave so you can change?" he asked her. She shook her head no,_

"_Just stay turned around. It'll only take me a minute." He continued to stare outside at the sun, seeing as its position told him it was 5 hours after midday, and that sunset would be in 2 and half-hours. Mia to up off her bed and pulled off her dress and pulled on a clean one._

"_You decent?"_

"_Yeah, you can turn around." He turned around to look at her as she pulled half of her medium length brown hair up and tied it with a ribbon in place. Then she grabbed another ribbon and put it in a bun there, creating the hairstyle that was her family's signature. She turned around to look at him she was quite beautiful. She had tanned skin giving her a darker look that she actually had. He noticed that her hair was getting lighter, and brighter each day. She grabbed her waistband and tied it on. "How do I look?" he was speechless. "That bad?" she asked and put on a hurt expression._

"_No, no you look great." He reassured her. "Come on, we need to be at the palace dinning room soon." She nodded and he put his arm around her waist to lead her back down the steps. They walked outside into the crisp, autumn air as they headed for the palace._

_Once there they sat down to eat. No one usually ever spoke during these formal affairs. The menu was exquisite, ranging from a rich salad with an odd dressing to a small sundae, complete with many delicacies such as chocolate and butterscotch sauce on top. After dinner Mia and Zuko went to sit in the garden, to be alone. Azula went off somewhere to study, seeing as how she was not the best student (unlike Zuko) but her father did not care about that, he only cared about the fighting skills (something that Zuko had never excelled as far as Azula in). They talked about school, and how their day had gone. Mia confessed as well, Zhao had sent her someone too to 'show her the ropes'. She confessed that she didn't like it, at all. Zuko's eyes drifted from Mia, to the window on the 2nd story behind her. He saw the outline of his father in the window, with him yelling at Zhao for something behind him. He knew what it was about, Mia talking too much. Zhao would surely beat her that night for it, so he did the only thing he thought he could do to stop it, he leaned forward and kissed her. _

"_Zuko, what are you doing." She whispered into his mouth, startled._

"_My dad's in the window behind us, yelling at Zhao. I don't want him to beat you." Zuko whispered quickly, Mia understood. She let Zuko slip his tongue into her mouth and do as he wished. She slipped both her arms around his neck, and he place one hand behind her head and the other on her waist. He glanced up at the window again through half closed eyes while keeping Mia occupied with his tongue. He saw his father nodding in approval, with Zhao behind him grinning. He pulled her into his lap. _

_Mia tensed a little when she felt him get hard. She felt his hand run up and down her body. She slid her own hand through his hair. She had always loved his hair, so thick and black unlike her own, which was thick, but an odd shade of brown. _

_He wasn't going to tell her that he had peeked when she got changed. He had seen her. She had had a smooth tanned flat stomach accompanied by her breasts, which were quite big for her only being 13. They were about the same size as the concubines that his father had sent to his room the previous night, even if her breast band covered them he could still tell. The sight gave him two thoughts, the first was eye widening, the second was hold up that's Mia, which over powered the thought of other things. But now, those first thoughts came back, no matter how hard he tried to get rid of them. He could feel his body taking control of what it wanted, not what he wanted, so he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead on hers_

"_Is he gone?" she asked him. Her breath was heavy, but not because she couldn't breath like after you do a marathon, but it was heavy with… passion. For Zuko, she couldn't believe it. In her sensible mind it felt disgusting, but in her emotional mind, she had loved it. She had never had a real boyfriend or kissed like that. _

"_No, he's still watching us. He's frowning now."_

"_Why?"_

"_Cause we stopped."_

"_Zhao, I picked your sister because she has the physical attributes that even I desire. I don't like all this talking she does." They heard Fire Lord Ozai from behind them. Zuko watched as Mia's eyes widened in fear. "I mean, seriously. She has the build of a 14-year-old woman and she's only 13. I picked her because I figure my son would be, pleased by the view. Now you must cure her of this talking thing, so that she only speaks when spoken to."_

"_Yes my lord, I will take care of that tonight."_

Xoxo

Zuko hurried toward where the whistle had started to come from, but not so fast that it looked like he was waiting. He saw the shadows of Zhao and Mia, he was holding her by her hair. Then he felt a blast, it threw him back onto the floor. When he sat up, the tent was in flames and people were running. He hurried toward the tent and stepped in. He saw Zhao's burning corpse, and Mia unconscious on the floor. Her long hair was covering her face and she was covered in ash and dirt. He slung her over his shoulder and ran to where Shang was. He scooped him up and got out of there as fast as he could. The smell still lingered through his mind as he hurried through the streets, keeping to the shadows and being careful not to be seen, the smell of a burning corpse. One that had not been treated so you didn't have to smell it. He knew what she had done, she had done it before. She can send fire out of her in all directions, creating a wave of force that will knock down anyone standing within 300 meters. He glanced down at Shang. He was filthy, Katara was going to have a fit. He had been lucky that Shang happened to be 500 meters away, therefore he was not hit by the impact, but some soot and ash from the air had fallen on him. Shang had fallen asleep before Zuko had gotten to him. He came to Mia and Sokka's house. The window was large and open, and he could see Sokka asleep on the bed. Sokka was lucky, Zuko knew that Mia was a good kisser from experience. Of course he knew that she hadn't told him because he hadn't shown up to kill him, he hadn't told Katara either. It was information they didn't need to know. Instead of saying that they had met because they had been ordered to dance together, they said that they had met at a school presentation and that Zuko had come to congratulate her on kicking some ass. This wasn't a lie, that had happened but it wasn't how they met. He climbed through the window and placed her next to Sokka on the bed. Sokka sat up awake immediately. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I went along to get Shang." Zuko told him, "She passed out so I decided to bring her back."

"Oh, thanks." Sokka reached over and brushed some of her hair out of her face. Sokka looked down at her and smiled. "I guess I should clean her off some?"

"That'd be a good idea." Zuko said and hoped back out the window to wander home.

Xoxo

Mia'd always been a fast healer. She had gone into a half conscious state when Zuko had placed her on her bed. She heard Zuko leave, and then she felt Sokka pick her up. She couldn't move, or talk, but she could hear and feel. She felt him carry her into another room and close the door. Mia felt him as he pulled off her cloths, and then lowered her into a tub of water carefully. She felt him wash the dirt, soot and ash off her face. She felt him lift her out of the water and dry her off, then pull her cloths onto her. He lifted her up and placed her back on the bed. She felt the weight shift as he got in on the other side.

"Night Mia." He whispered in her ear and he slid his hands around her waist to put her arms around her. Her mind fell into a well-deserved sleep.

Xoxo

Katara rolled over to stare at the ceiling. She couldn't cry anymore, she had cried herself dry. She hoped that Zuko would return soon with Shang. She looked around the room, in the five years that they had been married she hadn't really looked around the room, she was always too with her husband or taking care of something. The floor was a sealed cherry, which was also flame resistant. Beautiful rugs covered the floor for walking. On the walls, more tapestries hung, hiding the wooden walls that matched the floors. The room was beautiful and elegant. _If only I hadn't left him alone. Then I could have saved him. _She heard the shutter of the catacomb door open and Zuko step through with a very dirty Shang in his arms. Katara jumped up and ran to him and grabbed the baby, holding him as close to her as humanly possible. She brushed a strand of the baby's hair out of his face. Katara hurried into the washroom and pulled his filthy little clothes off of him, dipping him in to the water. She bent the water around him, washing him off in his sleep. The water soon went from clean, to black. She lifted him up and toweled him off. She grabbed a new set of clothing for him and dressed him. She placed him in his cradle, which she had placed in the bedroom with her and Zuko. She smiled and pushed some of Shang's hair out of his face and stared down at her baby. An exact copy of his father, with a topknot coming through he looked like Zuko probably would without his scar. _His scar, I wonder what he would look like… _her thoughts trailed off as she turned around to look at Zuko, he was not there. She heard the water start in the bathroom and got a sly look on her face. The door was open widely, and it almost inviting her in. Zuko was stripping off his clothing. He had his shirt halfway over his head when she entered. She smiled and leaned against the doorframe. He pulled the shirt off of his head completely and smiled at her. "Hey." He said to her. Her gaze fell and she stared at him. "What?" he asked.

"You scar…" she started. He lifted his hand to his face. The skin was smooth.

"But, what, huh?" he started. The he remembered. _This stuff will cover your scar, make it seem like it was never there. It'll help cover us if we get caught. "_My scar must still be gone…" he thought, _That's why she is in such a shock. _"Oh yeah, Mia used something on it to hide it so that we would have less of a chance to be recognized. I think I'll go wash it off now." He reached for the washcloth in the sink, but Katara grabbed his wrist.

"Can I have some fun before you do that?"

Xoxo

In the dark of night, outside the Fire Lord's window was a figure. He watched in disgust as the two began to make out passionately and as their clothes began to find their ways to the floor. The sight of Lady Katara naked made him hard, as the thought always had. He stroked his erection. "Fools think that they're safe. Well I've got another trick up my sleeve. And like the first, this one will go just as I planned."

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**betch can't guess who it is. rember that zhao and azula re both dead now.**


	13. All is solved

** last chapter, my brain is board of this story so im just going to finish it. and one other thing, how can this story have 1567 hits and only 13 review? come on work with me people and if you read my story, review please

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Fire that helps Chapter 13**

The figure slipped away and down back to the rebel camp. He walked around all of the soldiers who were clearing away the remains of the old main tent. He walked into the new main tent. "Our plan worked. They all think that they are safe, that it is over with. Your brother is dead, as you wished."

"Excellent." Gigo looked up from his paper work and grinned, "I am happy to see how well you conduct your services. I have a new task for you." Gigo held up a paper with a picture on it. "Find this woman and bring her to me. Tell her the Black Robin requests her presence. She'll understand." he tossed the scroll to the figure who nodded and left. "Soon I'll have the Fire Nation under my control."

Xoxo

Mia smiled as her students completed the move with ease. "Class dismissed." she called. She walked through the halls of the school, remembering her days here. 'Why did that specific day's events come back to me last night?' she wondered as she walked outside. The sunshine felt good on her skin. She tilted her chin up so that it was bathed in sunshine. She sighed. "Boo!" a voice came and knocked her out of her trance. She jumped and turned her head.

"Sokka." she groaned as he came up to her and lifted her up from behind. She smiled.

"Ready?" he asked her. She nodded and he led her to the fire nation palace. 

Xoxo

Katara was in the great gardens with her son by the duck pond. He waddled around happily.

Katara picked up her son and hugged him. "I can't believe I almost lost you." She said as she hugged him.

"If you hug him that hard you're going to suffocate him." Mia stood behind her with Katara's brother. Both girls squealed and hurried to hug each other. Sokka rolled his eyes behind them. The two women broke apart. "How's he holding up?"

"His nasty cough is almost gone."

"That's good, can't have the heir to the throne dying on us now!"

Xoxo

Jun rode her Xierxu through the woods and down to a local tavern near the fire capitol. She quickly made a bundle of money arm wrestling. _Men are such idiots. _She thought as she loaded up the money into her pocket. She exited the tavern as quickly as she had come. _So many places to hit. _She thought as she remounted her Xierxu and rode off again. Suddenly, a figure jumped down and landed on her Xierxu's head. "The Back Robin requests your presence." He spoke. She nodded. She understood the message.

"Take me to him."

Xoxo

Rya walked down the street happily. She had the night off tonight from the palace, tonight the queens brother and his wife were there. Whenever the two visited, she had the night off. She stopped when she heard something interesting.

"I'm glad that you were near the capitol, this job needs care and that is what you give with your jobs my dear, care." A male voice said

"Tell me what you need me to do." a woman voice answered him

"I hear you've met the prince, now Fire Lord, of the Fire Nation."

"Yeah, a couple years back. Angry boy, correct?"

"Yes, that would be him. You see, my little sister is supposed to be the queen, not the water pheasant that is on there now."

"I see."

"I need you to remove the heir to the throne first. You know the deal"

"Deliver him to you, alive so you can do the killing."

"This is why I chose you, you always get it."

"I do my best."

"Good, now go get started."

"Tonight, that is when part two will go down." Rya hurried back to the palace, she had to warn them, she just had to. She ran all the way back to the palace using the main roads. Whoever it was wouldn't be stupid enough to use the main roads. When she got to the main gates, she showed her ID to get back in. She hurried toward the servants' entrance. Then she saw it, a large black…thing with a person on top running from the palace, unnoticed. She hurried in.

"Rya, what are you doing here? You have the night off." Her best friend, Shiroishi, was doing the dishes. She looked up at her.

"I need to… prince Shang… kidnapped…. Rebels…" she was out of breath and leaning against the doorframe.

"What?" she stopped and looked at her.

"I was walking down the street and I heard something. Some people, planning to take over the Fire Nation and remove all of the royal family, so that he can take over the throne."

"Did you see who?"

"No, I ran here to warn you all, but I think I'm too late. I saw someone running from the palace on a giant…thing is all I could call it."

"Hurry, go tell his highness, they're all in the main sitting room of his suite." Rya nodded and ran for that room. She stopped and knocked twice to enter.

"Enter." Came the Fire Lord's voice. She opened the door. "Rya, don't you have the night off?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Its just, I was walking down the street and I heard something. Some people are planning to take over the Fire Nation and remove all of the royal family, starting with Prince Shang, so that _he_ can take over the throne. They planned to eliminate him tonight. When I got here, I saw someone running on a giant…thing is all I can describe it as from the palace. " She stopped and looked at them. Katara stood up and hurried for her son's room. Everyone looked at each other, and then hurried to follow her. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw her. She was on her knees crying in Shang's room. His window was broken and they baby was missing.

"Rya, did you hear anything that could help us with this?"

"I heard a whip crack when I entered."

"I'll go this time. I know how to take this one down." Mia said, but first she walked up to Katara's side. "Katara, It's okay. I'll get him back."

"This is ridiculous." Sokka said. Mia glared at him and stood up. She walked over to the window, and jumped out.

Xoxo

_Babysitting, that is what I've stooped to, babysitting this little boy. _Jun thought coldly as she looked at the baby. She couldn't kill him, and the poison in a Xierxu's lick would do that to one so small. _He is actually kind of cute. Too bad he's going to die. He's going to be really sexy when he gets older; I wish I didn't have to do this. _She stopped in front of the back entrance to the tavern's back hall and entered. She opened the door to the back room. He was still sitting right where she left him. "Well?" he asked.

"All went smoothly." She replied and held up the baby.

"I think you have something of Lady Katara's." Mia had found and followed Jun back to the tavern. Jun had, fortunately, not been in a hurry, giving Mia an opportunity to follow her.

"Sister, how nice of you to join us." Her eyes narrowed.

"What do you want with him."?

"To kill him of course, Jet." He called.

From behind, some grabbed her and held both her arms at her sides. "Damn this one is fine. Not as fine as Katara, but still fine."

"You're nuts. She is defiantly prettier." Jun argued with Jet

"Shut up you idiots." Gigo commanded.

"What's your plan asshole?"

"My plan? I don't plan to tell you that. But I do plan on brain washing you so you can't remember."

"And how do you plan to do that?" she demanded and he moved closer to her so that their faces were inches apart.

"Trauma." He whispered in her ear. She felt his hot breath along her neck. "Tell me sister, when Zhao raped you did he ever use two people at once to do so?" Her eyes widened

"You wouldn't." she said

"Believe me, I would." He replied. "After all, me and my apprentice haven't gotten some in so long."

"I'm married."

"What's your point?" he whispered and began to kiss her neck. That was enough. She wasn't about to sit back and let another man take her; only one deserved her as far as she was concerned. And she wasn't about to be raped for the 6th time. She looked over his shoulder and saw Jun roll her eyes and plop down on top of a crate and clean her nails. She felt Gigo shift so that his groin was above hers; she felt his erection press against her inner thigh.

"You. Are. A. Sick. Bastard." She said and brought her knee up to knee him in the groin. He groaned and stammered backwards. She took the opportunity to stomp on Jet's foot, causing him to let go of one of her arms. She swung this arm around and hit him hard in the temple with her elbow, knocking him out. Gigo had recovered by now and came at her. She ducked and flipped her over him, stomping on his stomach, them stomping on his temple knocking him out as well. She walked up to Jun. "Give me the boy."

"No way."

"I'll fight you for him."

"Are you crazy? I'm not stupid I trained you Angel, and I know better than to fight you."

"What's your point?"

"Now you sound like him."

"Just give me the baby."

"Then I won't get paid."

"Yes you will, technically you did your job and delivered him. They were just too stupid to keep him."

"True. Here." Jun said and passed her the babe. "Good work." She said with a smirk as she looked down at the two men, knocked out on the ground.

"Thanks." Mia said and slipped out of the back door and back to the palace.

Xoxo

Mia sat in the main box, watching as her brother walked to his death. She held her head high. She spotted the boy walking.

"Attempted kidnap of the prince of the Fire Nation. Attempting rape on a married woman. Planning to kill the royal family. Any last words?"

"Rot in Hell sister." Gigo snapped.

"You are all dirty fire bending mother fuckers." Jet snapped. The man rolled his eyes and put bags on their heads. He raised the ax, the brought it down, chopping their heads off. He then set the bodies on fire and everyone began to file out of the town square.

"You okay?" Sokka came up behind her once they were home. She nodded, "You sure?"

"Yes" she told him, tears coming to her eyes.

"It's okay to cry. He was your brother after all."

"No, he wasn't my brother. He was a monster. Just like Zhao….Just Like Zhao." She said. She spun around and flung her arms around Sokka. "Promise me you won't ever hurt me like they did. Promise me." She said into his shirt.

"I promise." He ran his fingers through her lose hair. "Because unlike them, I love you." He told her. She smiled and looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Really." He said and leaned down, connecting his lips with hers.

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**The End**

** vist my profile, i have 2 other stories, one is a humors one shot that garentes that i am going to hell, and the other is a story that i have marked as complete, but i think i might continue it. depends, if you freaking people review it and say continue then i will.**

**please excuse my beotchey behavior, i had a concussion today and this is what happens after i get the concussions. damn pool walls, why oh why do they have to be white? why can't they be purple or something? **


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